


Field Testing

by LetsGetNonCanon



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Action, Alcohol, Cheesy, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Everyone's gonna show up eventually, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Light Angst, Light Swearing, My First Fanfic, Sexual Humor, Sleeping Together, Vomiting, all hail the lesbian space rocks, what's the damn difference?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-07-18 07:44:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 64,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7305796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetsGetNonCanon/pseuds/LetsGetNonCanon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the cluster neutralized, Lapis saved, and Jasper screwing off in a hole somewhere, Peridot is finally able to relax. Unfortunately, this relaxation leads to a few realizations, the most prominent being how different she really is. With a little help from Amethyst, she hopes to better figure out her place. What she doesn't realize is how close to Amethyst that place is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Start of Something Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> I have to admit I'm a little nervous to post this. My first fanfic ever, and I think it looks good but I mean i'm complete trash so wtf do I know.

A gentle breeze flowed through the open barn door. Peridot’s eyes were locked onto the vast, empty field in front of her, although she wasn’t particularly paying attention to what she was looking at. She was too busy with her thoughts. It had been two weeks since the cluster was stabilized and Lapis was saved. Everything finally seemed to calm down, at least for the time being. She turned back into the barn and closed the door behind her. Aside from some random bits of junk here and there, the barn was empty. Lapis had apparently taken Steven’s advice to “take a better look at the world” to heart, and was routinely gone for days at a time, flying to who-knows-where.

Although she preferred having time to herself, Peridot found that solitude left her with too much time to her thoughts, and an unpleasant feeling began to loom over her. She had called the crystal gems her friends earlier, and while she did truly believe that they meant her no real harm, she still couldn’t shake the feeling that she just didn’t fit in. The world was still so….different than everything she had been used to on Homeworld. 

“There must be a way,” she said to the grand total of zero people listening, “there must be a way for me to feel the way they feel. Perhaps if I-”

Her sentence was cut short by the sound of the door being thrown open, causing her to jump.

“Hey Peri, talking to all your friends?” the short figure in the doorway asked. 

Peridot was still trying to get a hang of sarcasm, but she was able to restrain herself from truthfully answering the question.

“Hello Amethyst, what do you want? I’m busy.”

“Yeah you look like you’re getting a lot done over here,” she said surveying the empty barn, “Me, Steven, and Connie are all heading down to the beach for a while, you wanna come with?”  
Peridot was slightly surprised by Amethyst’s suggestion. She figured it was probably Steven’s idea. But then a new idea crossed her mind. Maybe this was just the opportunity she was looking for. After all, no one seemed to have a higher opinion of the earth then Steven and Amethyst, so maybe they could help her feel a little more connected.

“A-alright. Let’s go,” she said after a moment.

“Alright!” 

Amethyst grabbed Peridot’s hand and ran down the hill, excitedly laughing the whole time. The green gem’s feet barely touched the ground as she was being dragged. They were halfway to the beach before she had enough time to reconsider her decision.


	2. Instant Angst, Just Add Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the story begins to pick up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One and a half chapters in and I'm already making boob jokes like the mature, upstanding citizen that I am. Enjoy.

After a few minutes of frantic running, the two gems made it to the beach. The sun beat down on them, the heat much more noticeable here than back at Peridot’s barn. Amethyst dragged Peridot into the shade under a large tree.

“Hi Amethyst! Hi Peridot!” Steven waved excitedly, before running into the water with Connie.

Peridot gave a half-hearted wave before turning her attention to Amethyst.

“What are they doing?”

“It’s called swimming,” Amethyst replied as she sat down, “it’s fun.”

Peridot sat down in the shade next to the other gem.

“It doesn’t look very fun to me. I mean look at the way their flailing around! Are you sure they aren't hurt?”

Amethyst gave an exuberant laugh before addressing the question.

“It’s called swimming you nerd. You do it to cool off from the heat, wanna give it a try?”

Peridot had to admit that even from under the shade of the tree, the heat was beginning to get to her. She turned to face the water, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach. After a moment’s consideration, she stood up.

“Very well, I suppose I should at least try it once,” she said with all the fake confidence she could muster.

Amethyst grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled back before she could get close to the water.

“Woah woah woah, you can’t just walk in, you need to change into a bathing suit first.” she said as she pulled the skinny gem back.

Peridot stared back at her blankly for a moment.

“What’s a bat-”

“Just let me show you.” Amethyst said cutting her off.

Within only a couple of seconds, a blinding flash of light emanated from Amethyst’s gem. When the light died down, Amethyst’s outfit had been replaced with a purple two-piece, decorated with black stars.

“See? Like that.” she said with a large grin.

Peridot took a long look at Amethyst’s new attire, at first only to get an idea of what to morph her own clothes into, but found herself unable to form a proper thought whilst doing so. Her eyes fell onto Amethyst's chest for longer than she would care to admit, only snapping out of it when Amethyst finally spoke up.

“Uh, if you’re done checking me out, you can try it for yourself now.”

Peridot's eyes shot up, and she spat out the first lie she could think of.

“I..uh..I-I was just inspecting your gems! I mean GEM!”

Peridot felt a wave of hot embarrassment wash over her as Amethyst laughed.

Amethyst put her arms behind her head, and pushed her chest towards Peridot. 

“My gems huh? Is that what you’re calling them now?” she teased before falling over into another laughing fit.

“I never called them anything!”

Amethyst’s laughter was cut short when a bright flash of light caught her attention. The light faded to reveal Peridot once again. Her bathing suit was...less than creative. It looked like her normal attire, minus the socks, and with a large opening in the back.

“There, I changed. Can we go now?”

The two gems turned and walked towards the water. Peridot’s feet sank into the hot sand with every step. It was new sensation to her, she ended up spending most of the short walk over staring down at her own feet.

“What, you’ve never felt sand before?” Amethyst teased.

Peridot looked up at her, and before she could rebuttal, she felt a small wave splash against her leg. Looking down, Peridot realized she had already taken a few unthinking steps into the water. She heard Steven in the distance.

“Peridot! Are you coming in with us?” he yelled happily.

Peridot opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly found herself being lifted off of the ground. 

“Yeah she is!” Amethyst yelled with Peridot over her head. “Here she comes!”

“Amethyst wait!-”

In one swift motion, Amethyst chucked Peridot into the ocean to where Steven and Connie were, as she sailed through the air, Amethyst could hear her yell;

“You never taught me how to swim!”

Peridot landed in the water with a loud splash. When she managed to swim back up to the surface of the water, she found Steven and Connie next to her.

“That. Was not. Fun.” she said as she coughed up water.

“Yeah but, now that you’re in it’s not so bad right?” Connie said as she swam by.

Peridot looked down at herself, amazed that she got the hang of floating so quickly. The water was cold, and it caused her normally upright hair to flow over her neck and shoulders. A small smirk stretched across her face.

“Yeah...yeah this is pretty nice.”

Suddenly Amethyst burst through the water next to her.

“Glad to hear it nerd.”

Peridot’s smile quickly turned back into its normal grimace.

“Aw what’s the sour look for?” 

“You know what it’s for.”

“I was just trying to help you have a little fun, you looked like you were about to chicken out of it.”

“You still didn’t have to throw me in!”

“Oh quit complaining and have fun.” 

With that, Amethyst dove back under the water beyond where Peridot could see.

“Don’t take it too personally,” Steven said as he swam up next to to Peridot. “She teases but that just means she cares.”

Peridot let out a heavy sigh. She had a hard time believing that anyone truly cared. 

******************************************************************

It was sunset by the time they had finished swimming. Steven and Connie tried to help Peridot properly learn how to swim, but were interrupted by Amethyst causing a splash fight. Connie had gone home, and everyone was dried off and back in their normal clothes when Steven finally spoke up.

“Well I guess it’s time to get home, you coming Amethyst?”

“I’m gonna be a few minutes,” she replied, “I have to walk this nerd back to her barn.”

“I’m perfectly capable of walking by myself.” the green gem protested.

Amethyst threw an arm around Peridot and pulled her close to her side.

“Well that sucks, looks like you’re stuck with me!”

Steven laughed and said goodnight as he walked back into his house. The walk back was mostly silent, that is, until they got back to the barn. Peridot opened the door to go inside, but was interrupted before she could set foot inside.

“Wait.” Amethyst said quietly

“What is it?” Peridot asked, exasperated.

“I just wanted to say...I’m sorry.”

Peridot gave her a quizzical stare before she continued.

“I’m sorry for being so pushy. I was just happy you were hanging out with us that’s all. You seemed kinda pissed after and I..I’m just sorry okay?”

Peridot had been a little miffed at Amethyst for chucking her into the water, but hearing the sad twang in her voice caused her emotions to flip.

“It’s okay Amethyst,” she started “you were just trying to get me to have fun.”

The two stood in silence before Peridot chimed in a again.

“I need to tell you something.”

“What is it.”

Peridot sat on the ground in front of the barn door, and looked down at the ground as she spoke.

“Part of the reason I accompanied you today...was because I was hoping it would make me feel a little better.”

“Better about what?” Amethyst asked as she sat next to Peridot.

Peridot sighed as she continued.

“I just...feel like I don’t fit in. The other gems think this place is the greatest in the whole damn galaxy, but...I still feel lost. This place is my home now but...I can’t shake this feeling that I...I.”

Peridots voice cracked, and tears began to pool in her eyes, Amethyst placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke.

“I know how you feel.” 

Peridot looked up at her as she continued.

“I’m not like the other gems either. I was made here, on earth. I know what it’s like to feel like an outcast, even when your friends are telling you they love you.”

“How did you make yourself feel better?” Peridot asked fighting back tears.

“I had help,” she thought of Rose. “I had a lot of help. But it still bothers me sometimes.”

Peridot thought of the incident in the kindergarten, making her feel even worse than she already did.

Amethyst stood up and placed herself in front of Peridot.

“I tell ya what, first thing tomorrow, I’ll come over and help you. I’ll show you earth isn’t so scary. Okay?”

Amethyst extended a hand towards Peridot. The smaller gem looked up at it apprehensively, but after a moment reached out and grabbed it. Amethyst pulled her up to hear her answer.

“Okay.” she said finally.

“Alright!” Amethyst said with an enthusiastic slap on Peridot’s back. “See you in the morning!” She waved as she walked back down the hill.

Peridot responded quietly as she stepped back into the barn, her emotions stirring inside her.

“Goodnight.”  


Maybe Steven was right. Maybe she did care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tagged this with "Light Swearing" and I'm honestly not sure where the cut off between "Light Swearing" and "Swearing" really is. If someone could help show me where the boundaries lie before I accidentally drop a word I shouldn't I'd be very thankful.


	3. Amethyst's Bag of Tricks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea how this chapter ended up being so long. I need help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really should've said this earlier, but I wanted to say thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos and such. It is a super huge motivator and I appreciate every last bit of it. I'd also like to extend a personal thank you to f0rt1ss1m0 for helping find my "swear line" if you would. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this extra long chapter full of fluff. And a dash of angst. But mostly bonding and fluff.

“Log date, 7-30-2. Yesterday Amethyst offered to help teach me more about this planet, in order to help my...feelings about my current situation. I am currently awaiting her arrival now. Although I am not sure what she is planning, I will be sure to record the results at a later period. Peridot out.”

Peridot carefully placed her tape recorder down and looked up at the barn window. The light had been filtering into the barn for a few hours now, and Peridot was starting to feel anxious. She was nervous about what exactly Amethyst was planning for her, especially after she ended up nearly pouring her soul out to her just last night. 

Peridot’s attention was then caught by a loud creaking noise. She whipped her head around to the barn door, which was opened a tiny crack.

“Peridot? Peridot you awake?” 

Peridot made her way to the door and opened it all the way to reveal Amethyst on the other side. 

“Oh cool you’re up!” Amethyst said as she made her way into the barn, a large bag over her shoulder.

Peridot wasn’t sure what to say. She expected Amethyst to drag her (literally or otherwise) somewhere again, rather than stay here. Peridot closed the door and walked over to where Amethyst was.

“So..,” Peridot said slowly, “what exactly are we doing?”

Amethyst sat down on the floor and gestured for Peridot to do the same. Only after she complied did Amethyst speak up.

“Well, between me and Steven, you’re probably sick of us taking you somewhere that’s supposed to make you feel better just because it’s pretty. So I figured I could help you enjoy some stuff that you’d have access to right here.”

“Well that explains the bag, but what’s even in it?”

“Lots of stuff! But for now let’s start with….these!”

Amethyst triumphantly pulled out two chocolate bars from her bag, and handed one to Peridot, who eyed it cautiously. 

“What are these things?”

“It’s chocolate. It’s good, try it.”

“You know I don’t eat.”

“Doesn’t mean you won’t like it.”

Peridot, unable to find a valid argument to her logic, unwrapped the candy bar and looked it over. She really wasn’t keen on the idea of eating. It seemed so...unpleasant. But Amethyst seemed to like it so...maybe it was worth the risk?

She slowly brought the bar to her mouth and took a bite. The taste settled in her mouth as she chewed. The sweet, rich taste was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Amethyst could see her eyes light up as she finished her bite.

“It’s good right?” she asked as she finished her own chocolate.

Peridot only gave a small nod before shoving the entire candy bar into her mouth, nearly choking in the process. Amethyst couldn’t help but laugh a little at the display in front of her.

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you really shouldn’t eat it that fast.”

“Noted,” Peridot coughed, “what’s next?”

Amethyst could note a small hint of enthusiasm in Peridot’s voice, she smirked as she dug through her bag, trying to find her next item.

“So, you just eat...for fun?” Peridot asked as Amethyst continued her search.

“Pretty much. You have to admit, it is pretty fun though.”

“I guess so,” Peridot paused for a moment, “does all food taste this good?”

“Not all of it, but a lot of it is-wait I found it!”

From the bag Amethyst revealed a silver digital camera. It made a loud beeping noise as it turned on, causing Peridot to jump. Amethyst couldn't help but laugh.

“Calm down dork, it’s a camera, you use it to take pictures.”

Peridot was happy to finally have something in front of her she at least semi-recognized. She had been tasked with taking pictures occasionally when she was allied with homeworld, but it was only ever for the sake of surveillance during her original mission or for reference while she was working with her machinery. She had a hard time understanding why Amethyst was so excited about it.

“What exactly is the point of taking pictures? Is someone in need of information?” 

“You take pictures to remember things, things you really want to keep close to you,” Amethyst gestured towards Peridot’s tape recorder, “kinda like what you do with that thing.”

In one swift motion Amethyst was next to Peridot with one arm around her, the other in front of the two of them with the camera. She pressed her face against Peridot’s and said simply;

“Smile!”

Peridot forced an awkward half smile right before the camera flash nearly blinded her.

“Oh uh, sorry. Didn’t realize the flash was on.” Amethyst said as she stood. 

“Now,” she continued as helped up the dazed Peridot, “when I print these out, you can always remember when you spent the day with your favorite gem. Now come on let’s go take pictures of some other cool stuff!” 

With that Amethyst was running out of the barn, camera in hand. Peridot thought about what she said as she followed. She figured Amethyst was just teasing again but...Peridot realized that Amethyst might actually be her favorite gem. She never really got along wish Pearl or Lapis, Garnet was nice in her own way, but still very intimidating, and she was still trying to figure out if Steven really counted. But Amethyst was different, to say the least. Ever since the incident with the kindergarten and the drill, she always felt strange when she talked to Amethyst. She would get an odd sinking feeling in her stomach, which she first thought was fear or guilt but...it didn’t feel bad. It felt...almost nice.

When Peridot made it outside she found Amethyst sitting just outside the barn. Peridot made her way over and sat next to her. For a moment they sat together in silence. Peridot looked over at Amethyst, who was gazing off into the distance with a smile on her face. Peridot could feel that odd feeling in her stomach again, accompanied by a hot sensation in her face. Peridot was so busy staring that she nearly jumped a foot off the ground when Amethyst began to speak again.

“I don’t know what life was like for you back on homeworld, but it doesn’t seem like it was much fun,” she took a long look at Peridot before continuing, “but here on Earth, you can do pretty much whatever you want. If something makes you happy, no one’s gonna try to stop you from doing it.”

Amethyst paused for another moment.

“Well...except maybe Pearl.” she laughed.

Amethyst rose from where she was sitting and extended a hand to Peridot.

“Wanna go take some more pictures before we head back?”

Peridot looked up at Amethyst, her face still showing a darker shade of green than usual.

“S-sure. Sounds like fun.”

******************************************************************

Steven looked up from the tv as the warp pad activated. Pearl and Garnet stepped off of it. Steven jumped off the couch to greet them.

“Hey guys.” he said enthusiastically.

“Hello Steven,” Pearl replied “have you seen Amethyst? I think she stole my camera.”

“Amethyst? She said she was hanging out with Peridot today.”

“And she didn’t invite you?”

“I asked if I could come but she said it was private.” Steven said with a shrug.

“Well that’s odd,” Pearl said placing a hand to her chin. “I wonder what they’re doing.”

“Wanna go found out?” Steven suggested, not enjoying being out of the loop.

“Oh Steven it really isn’t any of our business,” Pearl began, “But then again..”

Before Pearl could complete her thought, she felt a large hand on her shoulder.

“Leave them alone,” Garnet said coldly “what they need right now is some privacy.”

“What makes you say that?” Steven asked before suddenly becoming excited, “Did you see something with your future vision?”

“Sort of.” Garnet replied with a smile.

 

******************************************************************

The sun was beginning to get low by the time Peridot and Amethyst got back to the barn. The camera was overloaded with pictures. Peridot had taken over duties as the photographer and ended up getting a little too into it. Amethyst hadn't even looked over every photo yet, but decided to save it for later. Shoving the camera into her pocket, she spoke as she opened the barn door again.

“I didn’t expect us to take so long doing that, so we’re gonna have to skip some of the other stuff I had planned for another time.”

Amethyst walked over to her bag and reached inside, and from it pulled a large book.

“This is for you,” she said handing it to Peridot. “It’s a dictionary. It tells you what words mean, I figure that way you don’t have to keep asking someone what they’re talking about all the time.”

Peridot took the book from Amethyst hands and flipped through the pages randomly. She found herself amazed at how detailed the descriptions and definitions of each word was. She figured this was how everyone on Earth learned how to speak.

“Thank you Amethyst this is very..” she paused for a moment to look in the dictionary before finishing, “thoughtful.”

Amethyst chuckled to herself.

“Only a mega nerd like you would get psyched about a dictionary.”

“In any case, I’m going to go put this somewhere safe.” Peridot replied.

She brought the book over to a secluded corner of the barn. In that corner was a small pile of hay, her tape recorder, and a portable tv that Steven had given her. She placed the dictionary with her other belongings, as she did so, Amethyst spoke up again.

“Actually, that isn’t my only present,” she said taking one last look into the bag, “you know that goofy show you like to watch?”

Peridot immediately shot up and turned around

“Camp Pining Hearts?”

“Yeah that’s the one. I know Steven was trying to keep the rest of the tapes from you but...just don’t tell him I gave you these.”

Before Amethyst could even finish taking the DVDs out, Peridot had already snatched them from her. There were four in all. She took a moment to look at them, looking as if someone had just shared the secrets of the universe.

“Oh. My. Stars.”

She landed flat on her back with a loud thud, kicking her legs and laughing with glee. Amethyst joined in the laughter to.

“I’m glad you like it nerd.”

Peridot quickly stood back up, still clutching the DVDs for dear life.

“Like it? I love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Peridot made a beeline for the tv, and put the first of the DVDs in. After a moment she turned back towards Amethyst and sheepishly asked;

“Would you...like to..watch it with me?”

“Maybe just a few episodes,” she said as she sat in the hay next to Peridot. “I still have one more thing planned, but it can wait.”

It was with excitement that was only paralleled by the time she found out the world wasn't going to explode that Peridot pressed the play button. Peridot had all focus on the screen during the few hours they ended up sitting there. This wasn't really the kind of show Amethyst was into, so she found herself watching Peridot instead. She figured the DVDs would make Peridot happy, but she wasn’t expecting this intense of a reaction. Still, she found something endearing about the way she was glued to the screen.

Once the credits were rolling Amethyst stood up again.

“Alright that’s enough tv for now, there’s one last thing I want to have you try, something I love more than anything else we’ve done today.”

Peridot jumped up and raised her fists into the air.

“Aright! Let’s do it!”

“Well...there's one problem. It isn’t exactly set up yet.”

Peridot brought her fists back down, slightly embarrassed about her unnecessary outburst.

“...Oh..well how long will it take to be finished?”

“Not long,” Amethyst said only half confidently “just stay here and I’ll come back for you when it’s done.”

Before Peridot could object, Amethyst had ran out of the barn back towards the house. Peridot let out a sigh and picked up her tape recorder again. She looked up and around her. Somehow to barn felt much...emptier than usual. After stashing the DVDs in a place where Steven wouldn’t find them if he ever came barging in, she began to speak into her recorder.

“Log date, 7-30-2, As reported earlier, Amethyst wished to come over and help me find some happiness in my current living situation. To put it simply the attempt was a...marginal success. Thanks to Amethyst I’ve been able to find a few things to take pleasure in on this planet. (Note to self, find out where to obtain more chocolate as soon as possible.) Er-hem, anyway, I do fear that it is not all good news. I fear that I may be coming down with some sort of affliction after today's events. Earlier when I was sitting with Amethyst outside, I could feel my internal temperature rising to an uncomfortable level. Further studies will be needed in order to deduce-”  
Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of laughter coming from outside.

“Peridot out.”

Placing the tape recorder back into its spot, Peridot ran to the barn door. Whipping it open, she revealed Steven standing on the other side, giggling to himself.

“What are you laughing at you pebble?” she asked, spitting her words as if they were poisonous.

“Enough to know that you need my help” He replied with an earnest smile.

“What are you talking about?”

“Peridot, you’re not sick...I’m not even sure you guys can get sick.”

“Then what is your explanation then? What do you think is causing my internal temperature to skyrocket, or my stomach to create such uncomfortable feelings then?”

“Well..,” he began, “you said that those things only happen when you’re around Amethyst right?”

“Affirmative.”

Steven let out another fit of giggles before he could speak up again, he looked up at Peridot, his eyes shining like stars.

“Peridot, you have a crush on Amethyst!”

Peridot stood there silently, not wanting to run off to grab her dictionary whist Steven was standing in front of her.

Steven picked up on the confusion and clarified.

“It means you like her, but more than you like the rest of us. Some might even say that you’re in love with her.”

Those were words that Peridot could understand, they were also words that caused her to fall into a mass panic. 

“W-w-what?! N-no, that..that can’t be!” 

“Peridot?”

“A lowly Peridot, and a-a-a gem warrior? I’d get shattered for this!”

Hot tears streamed down Peridot’s face as she continued to yell at herself. Steven grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

“Peridot! Peridot! It’s okay!! You need to calm down!”

“I...can’t...calm down!”

“Just breathe Peridot!

“I don’t NEED to breathe you god damn CLOD!”

“Just DO IT.”

Against her better judgement, Peridot began to slowly take in and release air that she really didn't need. To her surprise, it was actually quite soothing. 

“Okay look,” Steven began, “You aren't one homeworld anymore. No one is going to try to hurt you just because you like Amethyst. And I’m willing to bet she might even like you to! Just...please calm down Peridot.  
Peridot’s mind was still racing, but she was still able to remember what Amethyst had told her earlier,

(“here on Earth, you can do pretty much whatever you want. If something makes you happy, no one’s gonna try to stop you from doing it.”)

The words echoed in her mind, and she was able to regain her composure.

“Okay..okay you’re right. I think...I may have feelings for Amethyst...and that’s okay,” she paused as she looked down at Steven’s smile “b-b-b-ut that doesn’t mean you can tell anybody!”

“Awww, why not?”

“Because I..I can handle it myself!” she lied.

“If you say so, if you ever need any help, I’d be happy to at least try.” he said as turned to walk away.

Peridot called after him.

“Wait, what were you even doing here in the first place?”

Steven slapped his forehead and laughed.

“Oh yeah, Amethyst sent me, she said the last thing she wants you to try is ready.”

“Oh..um okay.” she fumbled over her words slightly as she walked back to the house with Steven.

“Uh Steven...I’m sorry I swore at you like that.”

“It’s okay,” he said with a smile, “....where did you even learn that?”

******************************************************************

The house was dark when Peridot and Steven entered. Steven had climbed into bed a few minutes before, and Amethyst was nowhere to be found. Her attention was suddenly turned to the large door in the back of the house. In an instant the door opened and Amethyst stepped out of it.

“Right this way!” she said with an exaggerated gesture towards the open door.

Peridot cautiously stepped in and suddenly realized where Amethyst may have obtained the items for today’s excursion. Everywhere she could see there was piles of various items, most of which Peridot couldn't identify. Despite the house being dark, Amethyst room was incredibly bright. Amethyst grabbed Peridot by the hand and led her deeper into her cavernous room. After a few minutes of walking, the ended up at their destination. There was a large clearing of junk, and in the middle of it was a neatly made bed.

“..This is what you had to set up?” Peridot asked in confusion.

“You’d be surprised how hard it is to find a decent bed in a pile of garbage.

Amethyst let go of Peridot’s and and walked over next to the mattress. 

“Alright, there’s one last thing I want you to try: sleeping.”

“Sleeping, you mean you just want me to...lay there unconscious?”

“It’s a lot more fun than that.” Amethyst laughed.

“Well… I suppose it’s worth a try.” she said as she pulled the covers of the bed.

“That’s the spirit!” Amethyst exclaimed as she hopped in next to her, “But you need to change into your pj’s first.” “Pj’s are-”

Peridot held up a hand before Amethyst could waste her breath.

“I am familiar with the concept. When Steven freed me from my bubble prison he was wearing his...ahem..pj’s”

“Oh,” Amethyst truly wasn't expecting peridot to know what she meant, “Well I guess it’s time to change!”

Suddenly, the room was filled with the bright lights coming from the two gems. The light faded to reveal their new bedtime attire, Amethyst trading in her outfit for a camisole and fluffy pants, and Peridot trading hers in for...an oversized t-shirt and little else. Without thinking Amethyst asked;

“Peridot...are you naked under that?”

“What is ‘naked’?”

Amethyst blushed as she threw the blankets over the two of them. 

“We’ll save that lesson for later. Goodnight!”

Suddenly the once bright room went dark. Even though Amethyst was snoring right next to her, Peridot still felt very alone. Peridot never really slept. Besides the fact that she didn’t need to in order to survive, she prefered to spend the time doing something more productive. Although ever since the cluster was neutralized, she really didn't have anything productive to do. It all seemed so strange, for a long time it seemed she was doing something all day every day. Whether she was running from the crystal gems or helping them, she was always on her toes. But now that she had a chance to relax it all seemed so..exhausting.

******************************************************************

Normally Amethyst could sleep through anything, but tonight her sleep was interrupted. For some odd reason she couldn't shake an odd, heavy feeling on her body. Slowly she opened her eyes and peered down. She wasn’t sure what to think when she saw Peridot, with her arms and legs wrapped around Amethyst's body, her face buried in Amethyst’s chest. Amethyst let out a small sound in surprise, and Peridot immediately shot awake in response. She pushed herself off of Amethyst and tucked herself into the far side of the bed, blushing profusely.

“I-I-I’m sorry! I finally fell asleep and I was just so tired and I didn’t even know I could do stuff in my sleep and you were really comfortable and I’m so sorry I-”

Amethyst cut her off before her sentence could run on any longer.

“Peridot it’s..it’s okay I’m not mad at you.”

“Y-you’re not?”

Under normal circumstances, Amethyst would be a little less than pleased to be woken up. But she just couldn’t bring herself to be mad at Peridot. After all it was an accident...and she did seem pretty cute when she was asleep.

Amethyst quickly thought up an excuse.

“Well uh..I did tell you that I wanted you to feel better right? That stuff on Earth could make you happy? I mean if that helps you sleep...and it makes you happy then...go ahead I guess.”

Peridot slowly but surely returned to her original position, and the two gems quickly fell back to sleep in each other’s company.

******************************************************************

It was late in the morning when Peridot and Amethyst came out of the temple, still clad in their pj’s. Steven and Pearl were watching tv in the living room. Steven jumped up and ran up to Peridot in excitement.

“Peridot Peridot! What did you guys end up doing?”

Peridot looked down at Steven sleepily.

“Oh we slept together.”

Steven’s face went beet red as he covered his ears.

“Why did you tell me that?!”

Amethyst clasped her hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

“What?” Peridot said defensively, “It’s true, me and Amethyst slept together last night!”

Pearl stepped in front of Peridot as Steven desperately tried to stop is brain from forming mental images.

“Peridot I don’t think you know what you’re saying.” Pearl said.

Peridot pointed an accusing finger at Pearl.

“Don’t you patronize me! I know what I’m saying! Amethyst and I spent the day together yesterday, she took me back into her room, and then we slept together, and we’ve done nothing but sleep together for the past,” she paused to take a quick look at the clock, “fourteen hours!”

Amethyst hit the floor with a loud thud as her laughter filled the house.

“Okay now I’m confused,” Peridot said “what is so funny?”


	4. The Little Peridot That Could

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Peridot had been studying the dictionary the Amethyst gave her when she heard the barn door open.

“Peridot! Peridot are you in here?” 

“Amethyst!”

Peridot dropped the book and ran over to Amethyst in the doorway, trying not to make her excitement to obvious. Amethyst and the other gems had to leave for a mission only a few minutes after she taught Peridot how to sleep. Even though they were only gone for a couple of days, to Peridot it seemed like much longer.

“I can’t stay long,” Amethyst started once Peridot was in front of her, “I have to go back out with Pearl, apparently it’s _my_ fault the monster we were fighting got away and now we gotta go find it. But first I wanted to give you these.”

Amethyst handed Peridot a small pile of photographs, along with a single picture frame.

“It’s the pictures we took a few days ago. I could only find one good frame so...pick your favorite I guess.”

Peridot looked down at the photos for a few seconds before saying anything.

“Thank you Amethyst, this is-”

“Amethyst! Let’s go!” Pearl shouted from a few yards away.

“That’s my que.” Amethyst said before Peridot could get another word in.

Amethyst stopped and turned back towards Peridot on her way out.

“Oh and by the way, if you ever wanna ‘sleep together’ again, just ask.” she said with a laugh and a wink.

“I really wish you would explain to me why you find that so humorous.”

“Sorry, but you not knowing is what makes it funny. I gotta go before Pearl has a heart attack or something. Later dude.”

Amethyst shut the door behind her and ran off in Pearl’s direction. Peridot made her way over to her corner with the photos. Placing the picture frame to one side, she looked over the photos one by one, before stopping on one in particular. It was the first one they took that day, with Amethyst and Peridot’s faces pressed together to fit into the frame. Peridot placed the photo in the frame and put it with her other belongings. She couldn’t help but laugh whilst looking at it, remembering all that the two had done a few days prior. Her laughter was cut short by the slamming of the large barn door. Her smile turned sour as the saw who had entered.

“Oh. Hi Lazuli.”

Lapis wordlessly walked towards her side of the barn, but stopped halfway. Slowly she turned and made her way towards Peridot instead.

“Can I...help you with something?” Peridot asked confused. 

Typically Lapis tried to keep her distance from Peridot, but something grabbed her attention. She picked up the photo from the floor and inspected it.

“Hey! Give that back!” Peridot demanded, futilely trying to grab something from someone nearly twice her height.

Lapis laughed to herself, “What? Is she like, your girlfriend now?”

Peridot jumped up and snatched the photo from her.

“M-maybe! What’s it to you?” she retorted, a mix of embarrassment and anger stewing in her voice.

“You don’t sound very confident.” Lapis said as she went back to her side and flopped down into her own hay pile.

Peridot attempted to keep her composure, “That doesn’t answer my question.”

Lapis gazed out the window, “Look, the only reason I put up with you is because Steven likes you, for whatever reason. I figure if you got yourself a girlfriend, you could go annoy her instead of bothering me with all your talking to yourself or your garbage tv.”

Peridot wasn’t sure what to get defensive about first. It always seemed like Lapis just wanted Peridot to just up and disappear, a mutual feeling to be sure. Peridot’s emotions burned like a forest fire, causing her to overheat in anger.

“Why don’t you go stick yourself in another damn mirror? At least then someone would have a use for you!”

Peridot sat down in her corner and returned to her dictionary, trying to ignore Lapis’ presence. Peridot found it hard to focus on her reading, a twinge of guilt keeping her from taking in what was on the page. She thought about what Steven and Amethyst told her, about finding something on earth to make you happy. That’s all Lapis seemed to do, and judging by her attitude, the search was still ongoing. Peridot thought about how happy she was on earth, with her friends, with Amethyst, and the thought of being here without any of that made her feel nauseous. 

“Lapis?” Peridot said without looking up from her book.

“What do you want now?”

“I’m...sorry.”

“What did you just say?” Lapis asked, sounding almost offended.

“I said, I’m sorry. What I said was….unnecessary.”

The barn was silent for another long moment. Eventually Lapis gave a slow reply.

“Why don’t you go bother your girlfriend or something instead of sitting around apologizing?”

Peridot figured that was as close as she was going to get to an ‘I forgive you’ from Lapis, so she put her book down and made her way down to Steven’s house.

******************************************************************

Steven and Connie were the only ones in the house when Peridot walked in. Seeing the two of them gave her an idea.

“Steven. Connie.”

“Oh hey Peridot,” Steven said, “what’s up?”

“I was wondering if I could talk to you..about me and Amethyst.” she said, the hot feeling in her face getting worse with each word.

“Amethyst? Are you guys fighting or something?” Connie asked.

“No no,” Steven laughed, “Peridot’s crushing on Amethyst, hard.”

“Oh my gosh!” Connie gasped, “Have you told her?”

“That’s kind of what I came to ask you two about.” Peridot said, half looking at the floor.

“Sure, we’ll help!” Steven said brimming with enthusiasm, “But why are you asking us?”

“Well, you two are mates, therefore, I figured you would have relevant information to share with me.”

The children's faces went red.

“M-m-mates?!” Steven cried, exchanging and awkward side-glance with his apparent mate, “I mean we’re like...friends but I mean...we’re not like..”

He looked to Connie for help, but she was to embarrassed to say anything.

“Maybe you should try talking to Garnet instead,” Steven offered, “I think she’s outside somewhere.”

Peridot made her way back outside, immediately noticing Garnet sitting on a rock, gazing off into the ocean.

“Hard to believe I missed her.” Peridot said to herself as she walked towards the imposing gem.

Peridot climbed up onto the rock and sat next to Garnet, who didn’t even seem to realize she was there. The two sat in silence for several long seconds before Peridot tried to speak.

“So...um..why didn’t you go on the mission?”

“I knew they could handle it without me.” she replied simply.

“Oh,” Peridot said quietly, “What exactly are they doing?”

A small smile formed on Garnet’s face, “Peridot you didn’t come out here just to force small talk with me, did you?”

Peridot could tell that she already knew the answer to that, so instead she asked a question of her own, “Do you know why I’m here?”

Garnet looked over at Peridot, “It wouldn’t have anything to do with you and Amethyst, would it?

Peridot couldn’t help but jump a little, “How did you-?”

“Fusion’s intuition,” Garnet replied, “So, what do you need to know.”

“I need to know how on earth I’m supposed to tell her how I feel,” Peridot could feel the sting of tears behind her eyes, “and..and what I’m supposed to do if she tells me she doesn’t feel the same.”

Garnet placed a hand on Peridot’s shoulder. The two of them looked off into the sea for another silent moment. Finally, Garnet spoke.

“Peridot. If you truly want Amethyst to feel anything for you, you need to be honest. Just tell her how you feel, and be yourself, because if you try to be anyone else, she isn’t going to have feelings for you, she’ll have feelings for what you’re trying to be.”

Peridot looked down at herself, unsure what to say. It was obvious that Amethyst at least cared about her, but what if she was just being nice? What if there really wasn’t anything there?

“Only one way to find out.” Peridot said to herself as she stood up.

“Oh, and Peridot,” Garnet said, adjusting her visor, “one more piece of advice.”

Peridot turned expectedly, “Yes?”

“Next time, try to be a little more subtle when you’re ‘inspecting her gems,’ alright?.”

“How did you know about-”

“No time,” Garnet interrupted,” “Pearl and Amethyst are going to be back from their mission any second now, and you have your own mission to complete.”

“R-right...right! M-m-my mission..I’m going to do it!”

And with that, Peridot ran as fast as her legs could carry her back to the house. She ran up the stairs and stopped at the door. She could see Amethyst in the window. She took a few breaths, mustered every ounce of courage she could, and threw the door open.

“AMETHYST!” she shouted, her voice booming with confidence.

“Uh...what’s up dude?”

It was only then that Peridot noticed the three other people in the room, all of which had their eyes on her due to her outburst. She could feel her nerve melt away like ice cream on hot day.

“Could we..um talk outside for a m-moment please?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Peridot slowly closed the door and dropped into a sitting position, hugging her knees to her chest. Amethyst came out a moment later.

“Are you okay?” Amethyst asked, a mixture of confusion and concern on her face.

“I’m fine,” she lied “I just wanted to ask you if I could...um..”

“If you could what?”

Peridot’s words were beginning to fail her. Her stomach was in knots, but she knew she would never forgive herself if she gave up. She nervously pressed on.

“I was wondering if I could join you again tonight, like you mentioned earlier.” she said quickly.

“Is that all?” Amethyst laughed, “Of course you can, you don’t have to freak out about it.”

Peridot breathed a sigh of relief, ( _“Perfect,” she thought, “this should buy me at least a few minutes._ )

“So...you coming or what?” Amethyst asked immediately.

“Wait what.”

“Yeah dude it’s already getting dark out, see?”

Peridot looked out over the horizon, the sun was already half-set in the distance.

“W-well than I’m right behind you!” Peridot said, feigning tenacity.

Helping Peridot up, Amethyst led her to her room like she had done a few nights before. They changed into their pj’s once the temple door was shut behind them. Once they were at Amethyst’s bed, she seemed to remember something.

“I’ll be right back, I forgot something.” Amethyst said before turning and running back towards the house.

Peridot sat on the bed, looking down at the ground solemnly. 

“Back on homeworld I worked with machinery that could kill me in a nanosecond if I messed it up,” Peridot whispered to herself, “but I’d rather do that blindfolded than try to admit what I’m feeling right now.”

“I’m back!” Amethyst called as she came back into view, “Here.”

Amethyst handed Peridot a chocolate bar. Amethyst ate hers in one bite, while Peridot eyed her own apprehensively. She took a small bite, hoping the warm feeling would return to her, help her take her mind off of her own cowardice. The twisted knot in her stomach allowed for no such respite. She put the candy down with a sigh.

“Amethyst..can we talk?” she finally said.

“Sure dude, what’s up?” Amethyst replied with a smile.

Peridot forced the words out slowly, “A few days ago...I..came to the conclusion that I may have...feelings for a certain...someone.” 

“Oh my god I knew it.” Amethyst said, eyes wide in shock.

“Amethyst I swear I-”

“I knew you had a thing for Steven!” Amethyst interrupted.

“What.”

Amethyst let out a loud, bellowing laugh, “Well I mean he did get you out of the bubble and everything. I mean Pearl probably isn’t gonna like it but-”

“I do not have a crush on Steven!” Peridot shouted.

“No need to get defensive Peri.” Amethyst smirked.

“I’m not getting defensive, I’m telling you that you’re wrong! I can’t have a crush on him!”

“Why not?” 

“Because I already have a crush on YOU, you clod!”

Silence fell over the room like a giant blanket. The two simply stared at one another for what felt like an eternity. Amethyst spoke, her face beginning to flush.

“M-me? Really?”

“Yes,” Peridot said weakly, “do you feel...anything for me?”

The silence that followed her question made Peridot want to throw herself off a bridge. She thought she could make out a look of contemplation in Amethyst’s eyes, but she couldn’t be sure.

“Look Peridot,” she finally said, “you’re funny and fun to hang around with but..I’ve never really had a relationship before so-”

“N-neither have I!” Peridot blurted, “We could learn together..maybe?”

A weak smile stretched over Peridot’s face. Amethyst was still staring at her, as if she could see right through her. Finally she closed her eyes and chuckled.

“Alright. Let’s give it a try.”

The knot in Peridot’s core finally loosened, “Really? You’re serious?”

“Yeah,” Amethyst said as she wrapped an arm around Peridot and pulled her close, “I’m warning you though, I’m a slow learner.


	5. Risk Vs. Reward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amethyst decides she might need a little help for this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this wasn't up as fast as the previous chapters, life and all that. Now it's Amethyst's turn to angst, just a little. There's more fluff in store I promise.

For once in her life, Amethyst had a hard time falling asleep. She had spent what seemed like hours going over what had just happened in her head. She wasn’t sure what she had a harder time believing, the fact that Peridot admitted her crush, or the fact that someone had a crush on her in the first pace. She took a look down at Peridot, who was curled up next to her, snoring softly.

(“ _At least she’s happy.”_ ) she thought.

Amethyst returned her gaze to the ceiling, and her attention to the odd mix of emotions that were swirling within her. Amethyst slowly wormed her way out of Peridot’s grip and got out of bed. She quietly made her way to the large waterfall in her room and gazed up at it.

“I’m gonna need some help.”

With that, Amethyst shapeshifted into a small bird and flew up wards, parallel to the waterfall, up into the room above.

******************************************************************

Pearl didn’t spend her nights sleeping like Amethyst tended to. She found it more enjoyable to spend the time reading or practicing her fighting. She was standing atop a large pillar of water, sorting her sword collection when she noticed a small purple bird fly up from where Amethyst’s room was. She lowered the swords back into the water as Amethyst returned to her normal form next to her.

“Hey Pearl, you got a minute?” she asked nervously.

“Of course Amethyst,” she responded with a hint of surprise, “what is it?”

Amethyst could barely make eye contact with the taller gem, she felt awkward bringing this up to her, but she had nowhere else to turn. (Besides maybe Garnet, but she knew all she’d get was a cryptic answer.)

“Earlier, Peridot told me that she had a crush on me, and then I sorta agreed to give her a chance.” Amethyst finally said slowly.

“Oh Amethyst! I’m so happy for you two,” Pearl said, clasping her hands together in glee, “but, why not wait till the morning to tell me?”

“Because I need advice. I’m not sure if I should’ve said yes.”

“So you...don’t have feelings for her?”

“Well I mean, I like Peridot and everything, she’s fun to hang out with and she makes me laugh but,” Amethyst looked down at her reflection in the water solemnly, “I don’t know if I can do a relationship. I don’t know if I could make her happy.”

Amethyst looked back up at Pearl, fighting back tears.

“What the hell do I do Pearl? I want to be able to make her happy, but..I mean come on we both know I’m not a prize. What the hell would she even see in me?”

Pearl walked over to Amethyst and knelt down infront of her. She placed one hand on her shoulder and the other to the side of her own head.

“Amethyst I’m confused. You don’t want to be with her, but you agreed to be with her. Why?”

“I DO want to be with her, but I’m just gonna screw it all up, so why even bother?” Amethyst said, tears streaming down her face.

Now both pale hands were placed squarely on Amethyst’s shoulders.

“Amethyst, you can’t just assume it isn’t going to work out. Peridot obviously sees something in you, and if you have feelings for her too, you at least owe it to her and yourself to at least try.”

“But what if I mess it all up? Then I won’t have a relationship and be out a friend.”

“I’m not going to tell you that there isn’t a risk involved. But everything has risks. It was a risk when Rose gave up herself to bring Steven into the world, it was a risk to rebel against homeworld, it was even a risk to let Peridot out of her bubble in the first place once we captured her! But it was because of all those risks that we have what we do now. You need to be strong and be honest about your feelings. It’s something I always wished I’d done.”

Amethyst embraced Pearl in a tight, tear-filled hug. Normally Pearl was strictly anti-risk. Hearing her talk about the rewards from said risks was as inspiring as it was jarring. Amethyst finally broke the embrace.

“Thanks Pearl, I’m going to talk to Peridot, first thing in the morning.”

“That might be a bit sooner than you think.”

Before Amethyst could ask what she meant, she heard an unmistakable sound coming from below the waterfall.

“Amethyst? Amethyst! Where are you?”

It was Peridot. She must have just woken up.

“I better get down there. Thanks again P.”

Amethyst leaped off the edge of the water platform, curling herself into a cannonball on the way down.

“Good luck.” Pearl said as she descended.

******************************************************************

Peridot walked alongside the river that flowed through Amethyst’s cavernous room. She had only ever gone through the other rooms in the temple during her escape, and wasn’t sure where the water came from. She made her way to what appeared to be the end of the river, a large pool with a waterfall crashing down into it.

“I can’t believe her,” Peridot said to her imaginary audience, “up and leaving me in the middle of the night. What if something got in here? I can’t defend myself!” 

She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted.

“Amethyst! Amethyst where are you?”

SPLASH

Before she knew it Peridot was soaked to the bone. Amethyst emerged from the water and ran up to Peridot.

“You called?” she said with a smirk.

“Yes I called! Where the hell have you been? I’ve been wandering around this gigantic room for who knows how long, then you come falling out of the sky! What were you even doing up there?!”

Amethyst wrapped her arms around Peridot and scooped her up.

“I was spreading the good news.”

******************************************************************

The two gems stood at the doorway that connected the temple to the rest of the house. They glanced at each other nervously.

“I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” Amethyst began, “everyone’s gonna be happy for us.”

“I know,” Peridot said quietly, “but I’m nervous too. Having all those eyes on me makes me lose my nerve.”

Amethyst took Peridot’s hand into hers. 

“Let’s just tell them one at a time, that should make things easier.”

“Y-yeah. Good idea Amethyst.”

Hand in hand they walked towards the door, opening to reveal Steven’s crowded house. Garnet and Pearl were talking in the kitchen, and Steven, Connie, and Lapis were playing video games in the living room, although Lapis seemed to be doing so begrudgingly. The sight of it all made Peridot go stiff.

“Looks like it’s time for plan B.” Amethyst whispered.

“What’s plan-”

“Hey everybody!” Amethyst called into the house.

All heads turned towards the two standing just in front of the doorway, still tightly gripping one another's hands. Amethyst held up their connected hands triumphantly.

“Guess which lucky gem scored herself a nerd?” Amethyst laughed.

“What? Really?!” Steven squealed.

“Congratulations!” Connie said with a smile.

“About damn time.” Lapis said under her breath.

Pearl gave the duo a small smile while Garnet did a silent thumbs-up. Peridot felt a wave of warm emotions wash over her. It didn’t feel quite the same as when she told Amethyst how she felt, but it felt good all the same. 

“So you two are dating now?” Steven asked.

Amethyst took her hand from Peridot and crossed her arms with a smirk.

“Well...technically I haven't been properly asked out yet.”

All eyes feel on Peridot. An uncomfortable heat rushed through her very being.

(“ _Really? In front of everyone?!”_ ) she thought.

Peridot took in a big breath of air before she spoke up.

“That’s..that’s right! Um..so..would you like to..go out sometime...maybe?”

Amethyst put a finger to her face in a faux thoughtful pose.

“Hmmm, I don’t know,” she said sarcastically, “I’ll have to see what I’m doing later.”

Peridot stared back at her, unsure of what to say. She thought she knew Amethyst’s sarcasm by now, but her nerves were causing her to second guess herself. Before she knew it Amethyst had thrown her over her shoulder.

“I’m just messing with ya,” she said, “of course I will! Come on let’s go!”

Amethyst ran out the door, laughing wildly as Peridot thrashed around in her grip.

“Have fun!” Steven waved.


	6. Whip It Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot's got some new interests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact, this chapter was originally going to be titled "Peridot's Violence Fetish", but I figured that was a bit...much even for my standards.
> 
> As a side note, sorry this took so long to put together compared to all the previous chapters, writers block is a bitch and a half. The next chapter will not take nearly as long, I promise. Enjoy.

“So what do you wanna do?” Amethyst asked running down the beach.

“I want to walk on the ground again.” Peridot responded, still stuck in Amethyst’s grip.

“I’ll let you down when you give me a better-WAH.”

Suddenly, Peridot found herself soaring through the air. She landed face first in the sand a few feet from where Amethyst had come to a stop.

“What happened?” she asked, her words muffled with sand.

Amethyst picked herself back up and scanned the ground. She found a large blue object sticking out of the sand. 

“I think I tripped over this thing.”

She dug it up as Peridot made her way over. After a few minutes of digging she revealed the whole object. It was a brilliant diamond cut gem, it was the color of the sky and required two hands to hold properly.

“A gem?” Peridot questioned, “What’s it doing all the way out here?”

“I don’t know but we should probably take it to Garnet and-”

Her words were cut off by a harsh light, emanating from the gem in her hands. Amethyst dropped it to the ground and jumped back. From the gem a gigantic, bird-like monster emerged. Its barn-sized body was covered in cyan feathers, aside from its face, where the feathers became an off-white. Upon that face was a bright yellow beak and a long white horn. The creature leered down upon the gems with piercing black eyes and let out a blood-curtling screech.

“Get behind me.” Amethyst said, readying her whip.

Peridot complied immediately, running as fast as she could behind Amethyst. With a swing of her arm, Amethyst cracked her whip towards the creature, striking it across the face. The avian creature reared back and thrust its horn towards the duo with a screech.

“Watch out!” Amethyst shouted.

The two jumped in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding the monster’s horn as it tore through the sand. Peridot ducked down behind a large rock, while Amethyst ran back towards the creature. 

“Oh my stars. Oh my stars we’re going to die.” Peridot said, shivering in fear behind her rock. She slowly peered over the stone, and couldn’t believe her eyes.

Amethyst and the monster were locked in combat. The monster alternated between attempting to attack Amethyst with its horn and swiping its wings towards her. Amethyst deftly avoided the monsters attacks, retaliating with strikes from her whip. Peridot couldn’t help but stare at the display. She felt an electric heat rush through her very core as she watched the two duke it out. She ducked back down behind the rock to try and regain some composure.

“What is wrong with me?” she asked the open air, “We’re in terrible danger and I’m sitting here...oggling!”

She gingerly made her way back into a proper viewing position before continuing her monologue;

“But I must admit. There is something to be said about her skills. Comes with being a natural born soldier I suppose.”

With a flap of its mighty wings, the bird attempted to take to the sky. It opened its beak to let out a shriek, but was cut short when Amethyst’s whip coiled its beak shut. It one swift motion, Amethyst yanked the monster out of the sky, and delivered a hard punch to it with her free hand. The bird rolled and tumbled in the sand for a moment before jumping back to its taloned feet.

(“ _Amethyst’s always been a bit...rough around the edges but, something about the way carries herself in combat is..strangely robust._ ”) Peridot thought.

The monster dove at Amethyst, attempting to snap at her with its beak. Its attack managed to barely scrape Amethyst, who responded in turn with a vicious lash of her whip across the monster’s eyes. The monster howled in pain and sent Amethyst flying through the air with a powerful slap of its wing. 

“Amethyst!” Peridot shouted.

As if responding to the other gem’s plea, Amethyst curled herself into a ball and sent herself spinning towards the monster. The self-made projectile hurtled into the monster's face, knocking it onto its back. The impact sent Amethyst back in the other direction, who managed to land safely on her feet a small distance away. She flipped her hair from her face as she readied her whip for a final strike. 

Peridot watched from her hiding place, the demonstration of brutality and dexterity causing her to tremble with excitement. All fear the situation created had been washed away, leaving a refreshed feeling of elation and thrills. Peridot jumped up on top of the rock and cupped her hands around her mouth.

“Go Amethyst! Make that bird pay!” she shouted like an angry sports fan.

Amethyst raised her whip above her head, preparing to strike the monster down. Without warning, the creature opened its beak and released a bright, powder blue mist that enveloped the beach in seconds. It cleared just as quickly, but the monster had disappeared without a trace. Being suddenly blinded caused Peridot to fall from her perch with a small thud. Amethyst ran over to her.

“You okay dude?” she asked, making her way around the rock.

She found Peridot flat on her back, giggling like a child. Watching the battle unfold in front of her was little less than intoxicating, and Peridot was feeling the full effects.

“Oh yes,” she said failing to regan anything resembling composure, “I’m wonderful.”

Amethyst helped her up, “Did you get hit in the head or something?”

All Peridot could do in response was stare. Her entire being felt as if it was ablaze. Red-hot energy billowed its way through her body with no intention of stopping. Without thinking, she tackled Amethyst in a frenzied hug, knocking both of them back into the sand. She clung to Amethyst, giggling and shaking incessantly. She fought through her giggle fit enough to form a mostly cohesive sentence.

“That. Was. Amazing!” she said, her eyes glimmering with admiration, “That big blue clod of a bird didn’t even know what hit it!”

Amethyst lightly pushed Peridot off of her before standing back up. The smaller gem was still laughing in the sand at her feet. The last time she saw a smile that big on her face was when she nabbed those DVDs for her.

“I’m glad you enjoyed the show but that thing did get away,” she laughed, “We should probably go tell Pearl and Garnet.”

“R-right, we should go.” Peridot said, finally managing to at least somewhat pull herself together. 

******************************************************************

“So it just...disappeared?” Pearl asked.

“Pretty much,” Amethyst replied. “I was about to finish it off and grab its gem to.”

Garnet stood, arms crossed, silently taking in Amethyst’s information.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait for it to turn up. We certainly can’t track it if it just up and vanished like that.”

While the two of them conversed about the monster, Peridot was wrapped in a blanket on the couch, pretending to watch Steven and Connie play their game. (Lapis had apparently made her way home already.) In reality, she had become a shivering mess after her rush of adrenaline wore off, making hard to focus on anything.

(“ _What is wrong with me? First I became enamored by something so..barbaric, then I end up like this.”_ ) she thought.

She shifted her hazy attention to Amethyst, still standing in the other room talking to Pearl. Her mind wandered back to the fight with the bird. Back to watching Amethyst fight off that beast, watching the carnage unfold in front of her very eyes. The memories caused her body to heat up again, although not nearly as intensely as before.

(“ _Ugh, knock it off!”_ ) she thought in disgust, (“ _I need to get my mind off of that, even if it was...alluring to a degree.”_ )

Amethyst flopped onto the couch next to Peridot, snapping her out of her daze. She wrapped an arm around Peridot’s shoulders and pulled her close. She leaned into her side, hoping to absorb some heat to stop her shaking.

“Are you okay dude? You weren’t even fighting and you’ve been shaking for a while now.” she asked.

“Oh m-me? I’m fine.” she lied, her face flushing, “Just...nerves I guess.”

“Don’t you worry about it,” Amethyst said, pointing a thumb at herself, “I’ll protect you.” 

Suddenly, the house began to rumble, and a loud screech sounded overhead.

“Oh my stars it’s back! Don’t let it eat me!” Peridot yelled.

“Gems! Ready your weapons!” Garnet called.

With that, herself, Pearl, Amethyst, and Steven all ran through the door, weapons primed and ready for battle. Peridot and Connie made a dash for the nearest window, eyes glued to the scene outside.

Peridot turned to Connie, “Don’t you usually help?”

“Forgot my sword today.” she said with a shrug.

The two of them turned back to the fight unfolding outside. The bird monster had indeed returned, and was circling the sky above the gems. 

“We need to get it down!” Garnet yelled.

“I got it!” Amethyst responded.

With a flick of her wrist, Amethyst cracked her whip up towards the creature, wrapping it around its leg. Grabbing her whip with both hands, she yanked the monster out of the sky, causing it to crash to the ground. Garnet delivered a hard punch to it as it struggled to recover, knocking it further down the beach. The gems ran after it, weapons in hand.

Even though Peridot’s shaking had stopped, she found it hard to be still. She constantly shifted in her spot at the window, which did not go unnoticed by Connie.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Peridot could feel the energy returning to her, her body resonating with excitement. It took her an extra moment to process what exactly Connie had said to her.

“I’m more than fine, this is amazing!” she finally said, bouncing in place, “Look at her go! That bird isn’t gonna make it this time!”

Connie leaned closer to the window to get a closer look, “I just can’t help but get nervous.”

“What’s there to be nervous about? They’re all competent fighters.”

“I know but-OH DEAR GOD!”

Outside, Steven was being held by his shirt in the bird’s monstrous beak. The other gems were desperately trying to retrieve him from his current predicament, while the monster kept them at bay with its wings. 

“Guys? I could use some help up here!” Steven called in fear.

The bird flicked its head upwards, releasing Steven and throwing him into the air. The creature opened its beak underneath him, ready to swallow the boy whole. Suddenly, he was whisked out of the air, just as the beast’s beak snapped shut. Amethyst had grabbed him with her whip and pulled him down next to her. 

“Thanks for the save.” Steven said breathlessly.

“No problem dude.” she replied nonchalantly.

Connie breathed a heavy sigh of relief, while Peridot was reduced to a giggling mess on the floor. She sat herself back up at the window, eyes wide and completely glued to the situation happening on the other side.

“See? I told you.” she said unblinking, “As long as Amethyst is there, everyone will be fine. She is the strongest one after all.”

“I thought Garnet was the strongest.” 

Outside, Garnet hammered the bird with repeated blows. The creature could barely raise a wing without Garnet counter attacking. The monster swung its head at the gem, knocking her back towards the house. Pearl jumped in front of the creature, Steven in tow. The monster attempted to attack Pearl with its horn, but Pearl parried its strikes with her spear. Whenever it attempted to strike from the sides with its wings or talons, Steven generated a bubble to protect them.

“Oh please, she’s all brute force,” Peridot began, “And Pearl and Steven aren't even hitting the damn thing!” 

She paused for a moment before continuing, “Now if you want to see real power, just look at-”

From behind the creature, a long whip coiled its way around its horn. The creature was pulled backwards, causing to crash onto its back, screeching all the while.

“Amethyst.”

The monster opened its beak wide, filling the surrounding area with a powder blue mist. The gems scrambled, desperately attempting to locate the creature before it escaped, but to no avail. The mist cleared, and the monster was gone. Connie and Peridot ran outside once they were sure the coast was clear.

“Steven! Oh my gosh are you okay?!” Connie panicked.

“Don’t worry I’m fine,” he laughed “All thanks to-”

“Amethyst!”

Peridot leaped at Amethyst, who managed to catch her in a twirling hug. Peridot was breathless and full of laughter, but managed to speak all the same. 

“That was even better than the last time!” she giggled, “That part where you saved Steven from being bird food? Amazing!”

“It still got a away Peridot.” Amethyst replied to the small gem in her arms.

“So what? You’ll just beat it again and again!” she laughed.

“Regardless,” Pearl interrupted, “it’s probably going to be back soon and it’s getting late. We should stake out for it tonight just in case. Amethyst, take Peridot back to the barn.”

“Alright alright I’m going. Come on dweeb.”

******************************************************************

Peridot laid in her hay pile, staring up at the dark ceiling. She found herself shaking again, the scenes of Amethyst fighting the monster endlessly replaying in her mind.

(“ _All right this used to be fun but now it’s getting annoying.”_ ) she thought.

She looked over into the inky blackness of the barn, her nerves shaking as hard as her body. She was desperate for help, so desperate that she spoke into the shadows. 

“Lapis? Are you awake?”

“What do you want?” the void said back.

“I need help.”

“I’ll say.”

Peridot ignored her comment and continued to speak. “I think I have a real problem and you’re the only person I can talk to right now.”

“What about your girlfriend?”

“She’s part of the problem.”

Lapis let out a long sigh, realizing that Peridot was going to ask for her help whether she liked it or not.

“Alright,” she said after a moment, “what is it?”

“Everytime I watch Amethyst fight, I feel all...antsy. Then after word I feel sick and I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“I have a few ideas about what’s wrong with you, but let’s focus on one problem at a time.”

“Lapis I’m serious!”

“Calm down pointy. Your problem is simple, you just need to burn off your energy.”

“I need to do what with my who?”

“You’re getting pumped up watching your girlfriend fight, but you aren't doing anything about it. So just do something about it.”

“What exactly do you suggest I do?”

“I don’t know, why don’t you go fight with her or something?”

Peridot’s eyes widened, the thought of her fighting alongside Amethyst warmed her very essence.

“Lapis you’re a genius!” she shouted, “It’s so simple! Amethyst could even teach me how to fight, and then we-”

“Alright, alright,” Lapis cut her off, “now I need you to do something for me.”

“What is it?”

“Cram it for the night.”

******************************************************************

The gems were outside when Peridot made her way back to the house. The thought of what she was about to do caused a fluttering feeling in her stomach. She made a few cautious steps towards the group, and spoke.

“Hey,” she called, “any sign of the bird.”

“Not yet.” Pearl replied.

Peridot walked closer to the gems. She took a look around her. Garnet was leaned up against the house, arms crossed as she stared down the horizon. Pearl was pacing around the beach, spear still in hand. Amethyst was on the porch with Steven, hanging off the railing. 

“I wanted to ask you all for a favor.” Peridot said slowly.

They looked at her quizzically, it was Pearl who finally spoke up. 

“What do you need Peridot?”

“Combat practice.” she replied firmly.

The gems exchanged an uneasy glance, Pearl turned back to Peridot, apprehension in her voice.

“If you’re serious about this, I suppose I could-”

“No,” Peridot interrupted, her voice dripping with determination, “I want to fight her.” she pointed a green finger at Amethyst.

“Me?” Amethyst said, surprised.

She jumped down from her spot on the porch and ran up to Peridot. She looked down at her with a half-smirk, obviously a bit hesitant.

“Why me?” she asked.

“You have proven to me you are the best fighter here. Even if I lack a weapon, you will be able to teach me best.”

Amethyst let out a hearty laugh, “If you say so dude, sure I’ll rumble with you.”

“Excellent” 

The two gems took a few paces opposite of one another, before turning to face one another. Amethyst readied her whip and called out to Peridot.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Of course I am!” She shouted, energy building within her body. 

Peridot charged at Amethyst, screaming at the top of her lungs. Amethyst swiftly dodged her clumsy strikes, and jumped a safe distance away. Peridot jumped at Amethyst, arms outstretched. Her attempt at a tackle was cut short by Amethyst’s outstretched arm, catching Peridot and sending her back to the ground. Amethyst brandished her whip and cracked it above Peridot’s head. Peridot jumped to attention, her body quaking with anticipation. Her vision was beginning to redden, her emotions rising to a fevered pitch. She readied her fists and changed her stance, readying herself for another attack. Amethyst raised her whip and aimed it towards Peridot. Peridot managed to catch whip, which wrapped around her wrist and forearm. Amethyst yanked her whip back, pulling Peridot rapidly towards her. Peridot readied her fist and swung, and to her surprise, she actually made contact.

The whip faded away as Amethyst doubled over on the ground. Peridot’s blow had landed in the center of her stomach, which Amethyst clutched in pain. Peridot loomed over Amethyst, the once burning energy in her body running cold. She knelt down next to Amethyst, a cold sweat running down her face.

“Oh my stars! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” she asked, her sentences running together.

“Yeah,” Amethyst coughed, “I’m fine. I just didn’t expect you to sucker punch me like that.”

“I-i’m sorry,” Peridot said, choking back tears, “I didn’t mean to-”

Her words were cut short by a loud screech. A giant shadow emerged overhead, the bird monster touched down in front of the house.

“Oh hell.” Amethyst said as she struggled to stand.

Her and the other gems advanced the creature, who promptly blew them away with a flap of its titanic wings. The monster took off to the sky above, circling the area to prepare its next strike.

“Amethyst, we need you to get that thing on the ground!” Pearl yelled.

“I’m on it.” Amethyst replied weakly. 

She formed a new whip and swung it towards the monster, barely missing it. The pain in her stomach caused her to become imbalanced, nearly knocking her over every time she attempted to crack her whip. With a loud shriek, the monster divebombed her, barely missing as Amethyst jumped out of the way. Amethyst landed clumsily on her side, the monster advancing her as she picked herself back up. Peridot watched from a distance, frozen in a stunned silence. This was all her fault, Amethyst was in real trouble and it was all Peridot’s fault. The normal excitement she had grown to expect from this situation mixed with her worry, creating a nauseating cocktail of emotions. She balled her fists and ran towards the monster.

“Sucker punch!”

Peridot let out a small scream as she was gored on the monsters horn. The monster whipped its head viciously, throwing Peridot into the side of the house with a loud bang. Her physical form poofed into a cloud of white smoke as her gem fell gently to the sand.

“Peridot!” Steven shouted, looking back at the house.

Amethyst stood, her face dark with anger. From her gem she pulled a second whip, slowly advancing towards the shrieking monster.

“You’re going to pay for that.”

Amethyst swung her whips towards the monster, coiling them around the base of its wings. She viciously snapped her weapons back, tearing the monster’s wings off with a loud rip. The monster opened its beak, attempting to make another misty escape. Its mouth was clamped shut by one of Amethyst’s whips, another tangling around its horn. With one last pull, Amethyst tore the horn clean off, and shattered the monster’s beak. A giant cloud of white smoke replaced the monster where it stood, its large blue gem sitting idly in the sand.

“Good job Amethyst,” Pearl said, trying not to be fazed but what she just saw, “now just let me-”

Before she could grab the gem, Amethyst got a hold of it with a flick of her whip. She wound up and sent the gem flying into the ocean with a loud splash. She ran back where Peridot had fallen, ignoring anything Pearl could say further. Steven was already there, inspecting Peridot’s gem.

“Good news,” he said, “No cracks, no chips.”

Amethyst breathed a heavy sigh of relief as Steven handed her what was left of Peridot. The other gems stood close as silence fell over the beach. Amethyst wordlessly made her way back to the barn.

******************************************************************

Lapis walked into the barn she called home, not terribly surprised to find it vacant. Things had been a lot quieter around there ever since Peridot starting talking to Amethyst, which Lapis appreciated. She glanced over at Peridot’s hay pile, and noticed that all of her belongings were knocked over, most likely during Peridot’s rush out the door that morning for her fighting practice. Lapis wandered over and placed the items upright as the barn door slid open.

“Calm down dork I wasn’t touching your-”

Lapis was surprised to Amethyst in the doorway instead of her roommate. Amethyst silently made her way over to the hay pile, and placed the small green gem on top of it. She sat down next to the pile, her eyes beginning to well up. Lapis wasn’t sure what to say or even do at the moment. She sat next to Amethyst, who silently stared at the gem in front of her. Finally, Lapis spoke up.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine, the annoying ones are always hard to get rid of.”

Amethyst let out a small chuckle, refusing to take her eyes off of Peridot’s gem. The two sat in near silence for hours, waiting for something, anything to happen.

******************************************************************

A brilliant light filled the dark barn as Peridot reformed. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, she began to realize where she was. 

“How did I get here?” she asked herself as she held her head.

“I brought you here.”

Peridot jumped at the unexpected response. She looked over and saw Amethyst sitting next to her, a look of relief on her face. 

“W-what happened?” Peridot asked woozily.

Amethyst pulled Peridot into a tight hug, nearly crushing her in the process. She trembled as she spoke.

“You almost got yourself killed. I was worried about you, and I’m glad you’re okay.”

Peridot slowly attempted to stand, her mind and body exhausted from the stress of regeneration. Amethyst stood as well, her expression changing to one of anger.

“What the hell were you thinking! Besides the fact that you don’t even have a weapon, that thing was like a hundred times your size! It could've cracked you in half!”

“I’m sorry,” Peridot replied sheepishly, “I really am.”

“Why were you trying to fight it in the first place? Why were you trying to fight _me_ in the first place?”

Peridot’s face flushed, too exhausted to come up with an excuse, Peridot finally gave in.

“Watching you fight was...amazing. It just looked so natural when you were doing it that I just...got a little too caught up in the moment I guess. It was just so exhilarating!”

“You’re telling me you almost got yourself killed because you thought I looked good beating up a monster.”

“I thought you looked beautiful.” Peridot blurted, clasping her hands over her mouth a moment after.

Amethyst’s face grew hot, “D-did you just say I was-”

“Yaaay!” Lapis yelled sarcastically from her own hay pile, “Everybody is all lovey-dovey again! How about everyone tries shutting the hell up next?”

With that, Lapis threw a second pile of hay on top of herself in an attempt to shut out any more noise. Amethyst and Peridot took another long look at each other before either of them dared to speak again. Finally, Amethyst broke the silence.

“Come on, you look like a wreck. Let me try and take care of you.”

“That isn’t necessary, I should be fine.”

Amethyst reached around and picked Peridot up bridal style, causing the green gem’s face to glow even brighter.

“I said I’m taking care of you.”

“...Alright, let’s go.” she said, deciding not to make a big fuss out of Amethyst carrying her, at least this time.


	7. Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You ever have one of those days where you want to get up but your body is like "lol nope"? Peridot's having one of those days.

Peridot clung to Amethyst, her body heat providing a pleasant contrast to the cool night air. Peridot could barely keep her eyes open. She always found regenerating strenuous, but coupled with the physical and emotional stress that yesterday brought, she still felt as if she was freshly trounced by that monster. Peridot looked up at her carrier and spoke.

“What happened to that monster?” she asked slowly.

“Don’t worry, I took care of it.” Amethyst replied sternly.

Peridot opened her mouth to say more, but the most she could muster was a few strained noises. Her vision began to grow hazy, and she felt as if something was pulling her downwards. She tried to shake the feeling off, but to no avail. She wanted to call out to Amethyst, to ask for help, but was unable to fight her way through her own exhaustion. Soon it overwhelmed her, and all she could process was the feeling of an all-encompassing darkness enveloping her.

******************************************************************

Peridot and Amethyst walked through a large field, hand in hand. Aside from the two of them, the field seemed to be empty. A gentle breeze blew past, rustling the grass underfoot. The two of them walked aimlessly, the landscape stretching into the distance for what looked like forever. As they continued their silent walk, pink flower petals began to fall around them. Looking above, they found the source, a gigantic cherry blossom tree seemed to appear out of nowhere next to them. The two looked into each other's eyes as the petals danced around them. Amethyst pulled Peridot into a hug, the entire word being shut out in favor of one another presence. The hug was tight, and warmed Peridot’s entire being. In fact it was almost...too warm. Peridot peered around, realizing that something was amiss…

Peridot’s eyes popped open, a heavy heat covering her body. She immediately jumped up, and found her bare feet connecting with a cold dirt ground. 

“Aw come on! I just got you in there.” Amethyst griped.

Peridot looked out in front of her, Amethyst was lying in her bed, clad in only her pj’s. Looking down at herself, Peridot found she wasn’t wearing much more. The blanket had been torn off, balled up on the ground next to the bed. Her already tired brain desperately tried to piece the situation together, but no answers came to her.

“How did we end up in your room?” Peridot finally asked.

“I carried you remember?”

“No but..w-we were just in a field! With a tree! How did we end up back here so suddenly?”

Amethyst let out an amused laugh at the confused gem’s expense. “You were having a dream you nerd.”

“What is this, ‘dream’ you speak of?” she asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

“Sometimes when you sleep, you see things that aren't real. They usually don’t make too much sense, but a lot of the time they’re fun, as long as they don't get too freaky.”

“How do I turn it off?” Peridot asked, deadpan as ever.

“You can’t exactly turn it off,” Amethyst chuckled, “but you don’t have anything t worry about, you won’t get hurt or anything.”

Peridot looked apprehensively at the bed, her fatigue urging her to climb back in. She complied as Amethyst threw the blanket back over the two of them. The idea of seeing visions as she slept made Peridot worry, but she was unable to dwell on it for long.

******************************************************************

Peridot found herself walking along a sheer cliff. The ground was a dark, solid brown, with small stalagmites occasionally sticking up out of the ground.. Odd white bushes dotted the scenery. Peridot gazed up at the peach-pink sky, trying to deduce where she was. Her attention was caught by a one of the white bushes, which began to violently shake. Amethyst’s head burst through the top of it, obviously chewing on something. She swallowed the contents of her mouth, before sticking an arm out to tear more of the bush away.

“Have a bite Peridot!” she said, cheerfully stuffing a fistful of bush into her mouth.

Slowly, Peridot pulled a piece of the bush off and brought it to her mouth. It was sweet and gooey, melting in her mouth almost instantly. Peridot remembered Steven referring to these things as ‘marshmallows,’ but they certainly weren’t this big. She bent over and broke a piece off of a nearby stalagmite, and popped it into her mouth. It was chocolate! She turned back towards Amethyst.

“Is everything here made of junk food?”

Her mouth still full of marshmallow, Amethyst silently pointed past Peridot. Peridot turned to face where she was pointing, seeing nothing but the edge of the cliff. Peridot peered her head over it, a foggy abyss greeting her below. She thought she could make out shapes in the fog, and leaned closer to try and make them out. Suddenly, she fell. Rapidly dropping into the abyss below, she believed her life would surely end. Enveloped in the thick fog, it was impossible to see anything as she continued to plummet. Eventually the fog cleared, allowing Peridot to get a look at what could very possibly be her final resting place. To her surprise, the open air surrounding her was not unoccupied, it was full of food! Giant food thousands of times their normal size. Pizza slices big enough for a crowd to stand on, french fries the size of trees, and donuts comparable to the rings of saturn. She reached out to try and grab a hold of some of it, but to no avail. Shifting her attention to her view below, Peridot could see that she was rapidly approaching solid ground. She appeared to be making her way to a large, white hill. The air around her grew cold, a sweet scent assaulting her senses. Still being fairly unfamiliar with food, Peridot didn’t realize it was an ice cream cone until she landed on it face first, sinking into it slightly.

Peridot slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times. She did a once over on herself, relieved (if not a bit disappointed) to find that she was in fact, not covered in ice cream. Her vision was still a bit blurry, but she could make out Amethyst lying on her back next to her, unconscious and snoring loudly. Peridot wrapped arm around Amethyst waist, resting her head on her chest. The memory of her recent dream was already beginning to fade a bit, which only served to disturb Peridot further. It was then that she realized she couldn’t even remember changing from her normal attire into her pj’s. The exhausted gem squeezed her eyes shut, angry at her failing memory. Not only was she being subjected to these visions, but she seemed to be active while they were happening as well, noting that she did not wake up in the same position she fell asleep in. She wanted to stay awake, to stay alert, to avoid these odd visions. The grip she held on her consciousness weakened again, before finally slipping away.

******************************************************************

Peridot’s legs stuck out from underneath the drill, a box of tools sitting to her right. Amethyst was nearby, watching her work. God knows how long they had before the cluster emerged, and the drill was still only half done. They had been working on it frantically for days, but never seemed to make any progress.

“How’s it going down there?” Amethyst asked.

“Not well.” Peridot grumbled.

Peridot fiddled with the machinery, trying to figure out the problem. If she could just get the drill started, she might be able to save this planet before it was too late. She continued her work, frustrated at herself for not being able to see the proper solution. She tightened the last bolt with a loud squeak, then turned her attention back to Amethyst.

“I need you to do something for me. Get into the cockpit and press the big red button when I say so.”

“I can handle that.” Amethyst replied, leaping up into the cockpit.

“If I just adjust this, rewire that...perfect!” she mumbled to herself “Hit it!”

Amethyst pressed the large button in the center of the cockpit's controls. The machine sprung to life, engine rumbling loudly. Lights in the cockpit blinked rapidly, a high pitched wail emanating from the machine. The drill began to shake violently, heating up as it did so. Amethyst jumped out of the cockpit in a panic, and the machine sprung into the air. The two gems looked up at it as it disappeared into the sky. Pearl suddenly appeared in the barn doorway.

“How’s the drill goi-”

The drill fell from the sky, crashing into the barn in a brilliant explosion. The remnants of the barn were ablaze, and Pearl was nowhere to be seen. Peridot and Amethyst gazed upon the wreckage silently, awestruck.

“I should probably go get help.” Amethyst finally said before running off. 

“Good idea.” Peridot said, still watching the barn burn.

Suddenly, Pearl burst out from underneath a pile of rubble, her clothing burning almost as intensely as the building she had emerged from. She ran from the barn, screaming at the top of her lungs. Peridot whipped her head around, trying to find something to put Pearl out with. The best she could find was the tarp she had been lying on whilst working on the drill. Grabbing it, she chased after the flaming gem. Pearl ran in circles, shouting obscenities in a panic. Peridot tackled her, the tarp outstretched in front of her. She pinned the taller gem underneath it, hoping to suffocate the fire. After a few seconds, she pulled the tarp back revealing a signed Pearl.

“Are you alright?” Peridot asked.

Pearl opened her mouth to say something, but fell unconscious before she could finish her thought. Peridot considered trying to wake her up, until she noticed Amethyst running back, Steven and Lapis in tow.

“It’s okay!” Steven yelled, “Lapis can fix this!”

Wordlessly, Lapis held her hands up, raising them above her head. In the distance, Peridot could make out the image of something rising from the ocean. Lapis pushed her hands towards the burning barn, and Peridot suddenly realized what she saw in the water. Lapis summoned a titanic tidal wave, swamping the surrounding area. The rushing water continued well past its intended target, flooding the entirety of Beach City.

 

Peridot’s eyes popped open. She rubbed her eyes, groggily trying to process what exactly her most recent dream was. It took a few seconds for it to hit her.

(“ _Wait a minute...that’s not what happened! Lapis wasn’t even there when we were working on the drill!_ ”) she thought

Peridot scanned her surroundings. She was in the same position from when she fell asleep, that is to say, right next to Amethyst, who hadn’t moved either. She looked up at her sleeping companion. She seemed so peaceful, so serene, and that pissed Peridot off to a degree.

(“ _How the hell can she sleep so easily? Is she having these confounded dreams too? How can she just sleep right through them? Ugh._ ”)

Peridot felt like she was losing her mind, these strange dreams assaulting her mind as she slept. She wanted so desperately to stay awake, but her exhausted body would not allow it. Peridot sat up quickly, a decision she immediately regretted. Her head spun, causing her to dizzily fall back to her pillow. She brought a hand to her face and sighed. She was to exhausted to fight it any longer, she could feel herself falling asleep again. She turned her head to face Amethyst, her vision once again growing dark and numb.

******************************************************************

Peridot found herself floating in a featureless white void. She still felt very much awake, the only indicator that she was truly dreaming being the odd place she was in. Suddenly, she heard a voice. 

“Peridot! Hey Peridot!”

“Steven? Is that you?” she replied.

Steven floated over to Peridot, seemingly unconcerned with the fact the two of them were essentially stuck in some sort of purgatory. His eyes were gleaming with excitement as he began to speak.

“I didn’t know I could get into your dreams too!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Back when Lapis was stuck in the ocean I was able to talk her while I was asleep. I guess I can do that with you too.”

“How are you capable of such a thing? Is it because you’re a hybrid?”

“That’s the usual explanation for why I can do weird stuff so...yeah I guess.”

“That doesn’t seem like a very good reason.”

“Hey don’t get mad at me, I’m not the one writing this.”

Peridot wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but decided to let it go. She floated in endless abyss silently, unsure what course of action to take next. She figured she would wake up again soon, probably just to fall asleep again in time for another strange vision. 

“Why the long face?” Steven asked.

“I can’t stay awake,” Peridot said, “and when I fall asleep I have these annoying dreams.”

“Aw come on, they can’t be that bad.”

“Yes they are. It’s annoying,” Peridot said bluntly, “if they aren't completely bizarre, they’re annoyingly inaccurate.”

“But dreams can be so much fun!” Steven beamed, “You can do whatever you want, watch!”

Suddenly, the void surrounding them shattered, leaving only open sky. The two of them were flying, hundreds of miles above any visible ground. They zipped through the sky effortlessly, dodging around clouds. 

“How are we doing this?!” Peridot screeched.

“I told you, it’s a dream! We can do whatever we want!” Steven replied.

The two of them landed atop a large mountain, the peak of which rose high above the clouds. Peridot was a bit shaken from the sudden flight, but was able to gather her thoughts rather quickly.

“That was certainly...something. But my dreams aren’t like this.”

“Well that doesn’t mean they can’t get better!” Steven said with a smile, “You just have to be optimistic!”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, gigantic red letters spelling out the word “OPTIMISTIC” appeared in front of the both of them, covered in flashing lights.

Fearing what he might do next to try and prove his point, Peridot replied quickly, “Alright, fine. I’ll try.”

“That’s the spirit!” Steven said, slapping Peridot on the back. The impact sent Peridot plummeting down the mountain with a scream.

“Sorry Peridot!” Steven called.

 

Peridot jolted awake with a start. She was back in the waking world, back in Amethyst’s room. She had shifted again in her sleep. She now laid on her side, Amethyst pressed up behind her, her arms and legs wrapped around Peridot’s body. She attempted to struggle free, but couldn’t fight the stronger gem’s grip. Realizing she didn’t have much choice in the matter, she repeated what Steven told her in her mind.

( _Stay optimistic. Stay optimistic. Stay….optimistic…._ )

******************************************************************

A blood curdling screech filled the air as the bird monster ravaged the beach. It used its wings to blow terrible gusts of wind at any who dared approach it. Its mighty horn gleamed in the sunlight as it raised its head, letting out another loud cry. Amethyst desperately attempted to fight the monster off, but it proved to be too formidable a foe. The monster knocked Amethyst down on to her back with its wings. As it began to make its way towards her, Amethyst called out;

“Help! Someone please help me!”

The monster reared up, ready to finish the defenseless gem off, once and for all. Suddenly, a heroic figure jumped between Amethyst and her would-be killer. With a swing of its fist, the mysterious figure knocked the monster on its back, causing it to wince in pain. Amethyst looked up her unexpected savior.

“Peridot!”

The green gem gave a smug smile, “Don’t worry, I won’t let this thing hurt you.”

The monster rose again, preparing for another attack. Opening its giant beak, it let out a horrific caw, attempting to scare Peridot off. Peridot stood her ground, Amethyst trembling behind her. The monster attacked Peridot with its horn, narrowly missing as she deftly dodged every strike. Rearing its head back, the creature thrust its horn at Peridot as hard as it could. With one hand, Peridot grabbed the horn, stopping it mere inches from her face. In one swift motion, Peridot tore the horn from the monster’s head, causing it to roar in agony. The monster took to the sky, and dove towards the green gem. She was able to avoid the attack, but the bird grabbed Amethyst, and tried to soar away with her in its talons.

“Peridot save me!” Amethyst screamed, helpless in the monster’s grasp.

Picking up the monster’s horn, Peridot quietly lined up her shot. Pitching the horn as hard as she could, she sent it sailing towards the creature, impaling it through the chest. The monster let out a horrified shriek, before meeting its end in a sudden and brilliantly colored explosion. Amethyst rapidly feel back down towards the ground, screaming for help. Leaping through the air, Peridot safely caught her, holding her in place to help her regain some balance.  
“My hero!” Amethyst swooned.

The two of them looked over the destroyed mess that used to be the beach. Amethyst looked up at her protector, her eyes shining.

“So what should we do now?”

“Oh don’t you worry,” Peridot said, a devilish smirk across her face, “I have plenty of ideas for the two of us.”

Amethyst laid a hand on Peridot’s face, bringing it close to her own, “Well then why don’t you come a little closer and tell me a few of them?

 

Peridot woke up face down in her pillow. When she realized she wasn’t dreaming anymore, she wrapped her pillow around her head and squeezed her eyes tight.

(“ _No, no no! Go back to sleep! GO! BACK! TO! SLEEP!_ ”) she thought.

She laid forlornly for a few moments, hoping that she would be able to catch the tail end of her dream. It soon became obvious that would not be a possibility.

(“ _Crap_ ”.)

Peridot flipped back over onto her back, gazing up at the cavernous ceiling of Amethyst’s room. It was only then that Peridot realized Amethyst was no longer next to her, her side of the bed unoccupied. 

(“ _Probably went to go get a snack or something_ ”) Peridot figured.

Peridot thought about how easy it would be to just get up and leave. All she’d have to do is make it back to the barn, and she wouldn’t have to deal with trying to sleep any longer. But something made Peridot stay put. Perhaps it was her ungodly fatigue, perhaps it was because she knew Amethyst would track her down, but something compelled Peridot to stay in bed, hoping that she would finally achieve a peaceful rest.

******************************************************************

Peridot made her way out of Amethyst’s room into the main part of the house. Sunlight shined in through the windows, the sound of chirping birds filling the air. The house was empty aside from Peridot herself, but she could hear the distinctive sound of laughter outside. She made her way to the door and turned the knob. For some reason, it didn’t open. Peridot pulled the door knob as hard as she could, accidentally ripping from the door in the process. She attempted to get out through the window, but that was stuck shut as well. Before she could question what was going on, the house began to shake. The walls and floor began to crack, the house quaking under an unseen pressure. Suddenly, the floor broke away, and Peridot fell into an inky black abyss.

Peridot couldn’t see a thing in the void she had landed in. It was pitch black all around, and it seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Peridot tried to walk around, get an idea of where she was, but it was impossible to tell if she was making any progress in this darkness. She felt a small rumble, then another, then another. Repeated quakes a few seconds apart from one another. It was getting louder. So loud, that the only thing that drowned it out was the voice accompanying it.

“PEriDOt”

Peridot whipped her head around, her eyes wide with fear, “J-J-Jasper?!”

The large orange gem was walking slowly towards Peridot, her weapon ready. Her face was twisted into a chilling depiction of terror.

“yOu're A TraitoR PERIdOt.” she said, her voice demonic and distorted.

Peridot turned and ran, Jasper chasing after her. The void seemed endless, simply going and going as Peridot attempted to get away. Jasper continued to shout behind her.

“afteR i'M donE witH you, i'M goiNg to KiLL AlL YOur worTHLess friENDs.”

Peridot continued to run into the void, with no end in sight.

“they'Re aLL goIng to diE PeriDot, aNd It iT'S All yoUr FAult.”

Peridot ran as fast as her legs would allow, desperately trying to ignore what Jasper was saying. Her heart raced as she desperately attempted to evade her attacker.

"therE'S NowhEre For yOu to run pERIDOT. YoU'rE NEver GoInG TO SEE aNY Of tHEm eVER agaIn."

No matter how fast Peridot ran, it always felt like Jasper was right behind her. To terrified to check, she simply kept running, hoping, wishing that there would be a way out.

"PeRIdoT".

"peRIdOT".

“…”

“...Peridot?”

“Peridot!”

Peridot woke up drenched in sweat, hot tears streaming down her face. Her heart was still racing as if in some sort of danger. Amethyst was next to her, her face sick with worry.

“Are you okay? You were freaking out in your sleep.”

Peridot couldn’t even speak. Part of it was embarrassment, but most of it was a lingering fear. Most of Peridot’s dreams began to fizzle out of her mind the instant she was awake, but this one stayed. This one idled in her mind, taunting her trepidation, refusing to let her terror exit her thoughts.

“Peridot? Are you gonna be alright?” Amethyst asked.

Peridot hugged Amethyst, trembling and sobbing into her shoulder. Amethyst wrapped her arms around the distressed gem, trying to quickly think of a way to ease her fear.

“It’s gonna be okay Peridot, it was just a dream it can't hurt you.” she finally said, trying her best to sound comforting.

“I’m so s-scared.” Peridot whined.

Amethyst gently rubbed the other gem’s back, her shaking beginning to get worse. Amethyst pulled away from the hug, and held Peridot in front of her to look into her eyes.

“It’s going to be okay Peridot. Nothing is going to hurt you, you know why?”

Peridot sadly shook her head, tears still flowing from her eyes.

“Because I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you.”


	8. What A Nerd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter actually sorta has a back story. I showed the fic to my girlfriend when it was only about 3 or so chapters long. One of the things she said was "I feel like Amethyst calls Peridot a nerd too often." and that gave me the idea for this chapter. Enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the span of time between me posting chapter 7 and me writing chapter 8, this story hit (and surpassed!) 1000 hits. That's...freaking awesome. I'm sure too a lot of people who have been doing this for a while it seems like I'm gushing about nothing, but I do want to take a sec to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this. And that goes double for all those who left comments, kudos, those who bookmarked the fic, and all that. The motivation I get when I know that people actually enjoy reading this is absolutely staggering. From the bottom of my heart, I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for giving this story a shot, and I want you to know there is plenty more to come. Thanks again everybody, you guys are great. ^_^

Amethyst led Peridot out of her room, the trembling green gem still wrapped up in a blanket. The rest of the house was void of people or gems, a relief to Peridot, who wasn’t in the mood to explain herself. The sun had come up some time ago, and Peridot refused to try and sleep again. Amethyst led Peridot through the door and towards her barn. 

“Are you sure you don’t wanna stay in my room for a while longer?” Amethyst asked worriedly.

Peridot shifted a dark-circled eye towards Amethyst, “I don’t think it would help.”

The two finally made it back to the barn. Amethyst stopped Peridot from going inside as soon as they got there.

“I can stay here with you, if you want.”

Peridot felt a chill run down her spine as her nightmare replayed itself in her mind. She looked over at Amethyst, who's concerned expression hasn’t changed all morning. She just wanted to force the memory out of her mind, and Amethyst’s insistent worry was only making it stick around.

“That won’t be necessary,” Peridot replied groggily, “besides, Lapis doesn’t like visitors.”

Amethyst hugged Peridot, the half-asleep gem limp in her grasp. When they pulled away, Amethyst gave a small smile and said;

“Just remember what I said, I’m here for you. If you need something, come find me. Okay?”

Peridot gave a weak nod in response.

“Alright,” Amethyst said rustling Peridot’s hair, “I’ll come check on you later, nerd.

Peridot couldn’t help but smile as Amethyst walked away. Amethyst had a lot of nicknames for her. Peridot wasn’t completely sure what they all meant but, Amethyst was always smiling or laughing when she said them, so they had to be good. Peridot made her way into the barn, still draped in Amethyst’s blanket. Lapis spoke up as soon as she entered the building.

“Wow. You look even more like crap than usual. What happened?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” Peridot said, sitting down in her hay pile.

“What? Did you finally realize your little girlfriend has been insulting you this whole time?” Lapis scoffed.

Peridot shot Lapis a horrific glare, “What are you talking about?”

“You really are sad,” Lapis replied, “Those little ‘nicknames’ she has for you? Insults. All of them. And she calls you them in front of everyone.”

“Oh please,” Peridot said, arms crossed “what do you know?”

“A lot more than you apparently,” Lapis snarked, “don’t take my word for it, look them up in that little word book of yours.”

Peridot looked down at her dictionary, propped up against the wall next to the picture of her and Amethyst. She picked it up and leafed through the pages.

“Alright fine, I’ll prove it to you.” Peridot said confidently.

It took Peridot a few minutes to find the word she was looking for. She knew what english letters looked like, just not what order they were in. Finally she discovered what she was looking for.

“Aha! Here it is,” she said, clearing her throat, “nerd, noun, slang. A person considered socially awkward, boring, unstylish, etc.”

Peridot looked down at the book, mortified. Lapis snickered from her side of the barn, while Peridot desperately flipped through the dictionary in an attempt to find out what else Amethyst has been calling her.

“Dweeb,” she read “noun, slang. Nerd, wimp.”

She couldn’t believe her eyes! Just a moment ago Amethyst was insisting that she cared about Peridot, but now it seems as if she’s been insulting her to her face ever since they met!

“Geek, noun. A peculiar person, especially one who is perceived to be overly intellectual, unfashionable, or socially awkward.”

Peridot looked up from the book at Lapis, a desperate, fake smile plastered on her face.

“The overly intellectual part doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Oh yeah,” Lapis said sarcastically, “that makes everything completely different.”

Peridot slammed the book shut and tossed it to the floor. She held her head in her hands, desperately trying not to cry. Amethyst was the one person Peridot felt a true connection with, but now all she felt was a stinging sensation of betrayal. As if it wasn’t bad enough that the dreaming world had left her so beaten, now it seemed the waking world was ready to take shots at her too. Her exhausted state made it hard for her to contain her emotions. Hot, angry tears formed in her eyes. Her hands formed trembling fists at her sides. Wordlessly, she stood and stomped out of the barn. The livid gem made her way to the back of the barn and sat down, leaning her head up against it. All she could feel was anger and exhaustion. Eventually however, the exhaustion won out, and she dozed off with her head up against the barn wall.

******************************************************************

“Hey. Hey wake up sleepy head!”

Peridot woke up to the sight of Amethyst sitting next to her. She had a bright smile on her face, either unaware of or ignoring the sour look Peridot had on her face. 

“What do you want?” Peridot asked scornfully.

“I just came to check on you, you little dweeb.”

Peridot felt hurt when she read the words on the page, but hearing them come out of Amethyst’s mouth gave a different feeling. It was more than anger, it was an intense mixture of anger, confusion, and sorrow that mixed itself inside her to create a nauseating cocktail of negativity. Peridot jumped to her feet and began to yell;

“Stop it! Stop making fun of me!”

Amethyst rose to her feet, confused, “What are you talking about Peridot?”

“I know what you’ve been doing! You’ve been insulting me this entire time, and in front of everyone!”

“I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh spare me. Nerd, geek, dweeb, dork, all of those are insults and you know it!”

Amethyst pieced together what was going on, “Peridot that’s not what I mean when I say stuff like that.”

Peridot was beginning to cry again, “Stop lying to me!”

Amethyst grabbed Peridot by the shoulders, “I’m not lying! I haven't been insulting you I swear.”

Tears continued to stream down Peridot’s face, “Then why do you keep saying these things to me?”

“I’ve been teasing you, silly.”

“B-but I thought..”

Amethyst cut her off, “It’s just teasing. It’s the same as when I made fun of you for almost choking on the chocolate, or the time I caught you staring at my...ahem..’gems’ at the beach. I don’t mean anything by it, and I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, it’s all in fun.”

Peridot looked at Amethyst, her originally burning anger being snuffed out by a chilling wave of guilt. Even so, she couldn’t help but shake the feeling she was being deceived.

“But those times were different. You were being funny, these are just names.”

“All couples give each other pet names. It’s kinda cheesy, but it’s cute.” Amethyst responded with an awkward smile.

“They do?” Peridot asked.

“Yeah, and those are just the names I have for you. No one really uses those as insults anymore anyway.”

“If that’s the case, why those names?” Peridot asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

“Well I mean,” Amethyst laughed, “you are kind of a nerd Peridot.”

“I am not!”

“Peridot you’re a techie who’ obsessed with dweeby tv shows, you’re a nerd. But it’s not a bad thing, a lot of people like nerds.”

“Like who?” Peridot sulked.

Amethyst pulled Peridot close and waved a hand in front of her face, “Um hello? Right here.”

“Well,” Peridot said, sheepishly avoiding Amethyst’s gaze, “you did agree to go out with me in the first place.”

Amethyst laughed, “See? Some girls dig nerds.”

“But...why?” Peridot asked, her emotions finally having cooled down entirely.

“I don’t know,” Amethyst tried to explain, “I do like the way you nerd out about stuff. Like I gave you those DVD’s, you were so happy. It was cute.”

Peridot felt her face getting warmer, “T-thanks I guess.”

“No problem,” Amethyst laughed to herself, “if you’re all set I have to go get back to the house. We can hang later okay?”

“Alright,” Peridot said, before shyly adding, “and um...sorry about snapping like that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll see ya later.”

Amethyst departed from the barn and made her way back to the house. Peridot stood in the same spot for another moment. She couldn’t help but be embarrassed about what had just transpired.

“All couples give each other pet names.” Peridot repeated to herself.

Suddenly it hit her, she didn’t have a pet name for Amethyst! Peridot knew that the names were another form of Amethyst’s teasing, but she also knew the teasing meant something. It meant that Amethyst cared, that Amethyst did genuinely enjoy spending time together, and Peridot wanted to return the sentiment. After all, if it was something all couples did, Peridot wanted to prove that she was trying, no matter how ungodly tired she was. She made her way back to the front of the barn, surprised to see Steven coming out of it.

“What brings you here?” Peridot asked.

“Oh nothing,” he replied “I was looking for Lapis but I think she’s out flying.”

Peridot looked at Steven for a long moment. It became clear to her that she could use some help with her current predicament, her earlier display all but proving that her command of the english language was less than she originally thought.

“Steven I think I need your help.” she finally said.

“With what?”

“I need a pet name for Amethyst, but I don’t-”

That was all Steven needed to hear before his eyes lit up “Aw! Of course I’ll help!”

The two of them made their way back into the barn, where they stayed for what seemed like hours, trying to either come up wit or find the perfect name.

******************************************************************

Peridot sat on the couch in Steven’s house, dictionary in hand. Several pages of the book had bright, colorful tabs sticking out of them. Some of them were Peridot’s own ideas, others Steven’s suggestions. Either way, Peridot knew that one of them would be pet name she felt like she needed to find so desperately. She whipped her head towards the door as Amethyst walked in.

“Oh hey Peridot. What’s up?”

“Not much, what’s up with you…” Peridot flipped through the pages to the first colored tab she found, “..sugar?”

Amethyst stifled a laugh, “Excuse me?”

Peridot quickly flipped to another page, “I meant um..how are you today honey?”

“Are you calling me fat?” Amethyst said sarcastically as she sat next to to Peridot.

Peridot desperately flipped through the book again, “What? No of course not...baby? Baby?! Why did he even highlight that one it doesn't make any sense!”

Peridot closed the book and pressed it against her face, “This is hopeless.”

Amethyst moved the dictionary to look Peridot in the eyes, “What's going on?”

“I wanted to give you a pet name like you gave me.” she replied meekly.

Amethyst laughed as she put an arm around Peridot, “You can’t just look everything up Peridot. Something like that is usually more meaningful. It’s something that stands out about someone or just something you like about them.”

Peridot studied Amethyst’s face, “Just something you like huh?”

“Yep, that’s all there is too it. I’m sure you’ll come up with one soon.”

Peridot stared at Amethyst for another moment, “If you say so, beautiful.”

Amethyst pulled Peridot onto her lap and wrapped her arms tightly around her, “Now that one, I like.”


	9. Popping The Fusion Cherry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't do everything alone.

Peridot and Amethyst sat on the porch, looking off into the ocean. The sun hung high in the cloudless sky, enveloping the pair in its warm glow. It had been a few days since Peridot’s night terrors, but she still refused to sleep ever since. Amethyst looked over at Peridot, desperately trying to think of something to say.

“How you holding up?” she finally said.

“Not well,” Peridot answered, her eyes still locked on the water, “I’ve been feeling... indisposed as of late.”

Amethyst put a hand on Peridot’s shoulder, causing the green gem to flinch. Amethyst attempted to look Peridot in the eyes, but Peridot refused to meet her gaze. Amethyst could tell that Peridot was hurting on the inside, but just couldn’t get her to open up. Peridot hadn’t even told her what the nightmare was about, let alone why it was freaking her out so bad.

“Is this about the freaky dream you had?” Amethyst asked.

“What? N-no of course not!” Peridot lied, “It’s just...uh..”

Peridot’s sad attempt at a lie was interrupted when Garnet burst from the ocean in front of them. She soared high into the air before landing triumphantly on the porch. Amethyst and Peridot exchanged a quick glance before turning their attention back to the taller gem.

“Why were you in the ocean?” Amethyst inquired.

“I was looking for the gem left behind by that bird creature,” Garnet replied, “we didn’t get a chance to bubble it after someone threw it into the ocean.”

Amethyst pulled Peridot close to her side and began to yell in a half-offended tone, “Hey! That thing was messing with my girl, no one does that!”

“Oh my stars.” Peridot muttered to herself.

Garnet couldn’t help but crack a small smile at the display. She knew better than anyone how good it felt to have someone you could rely on, and she was happy to see Amethyst taking her relationship seriously. Or at least as seriously as Amethyst could realistically take anything. She was about to speak again when Pearl came rushing through the door.

“Garnet there you are! I need your help, you too Amethyst.”

“Alright alright I’m coming,” Amethyst griped, “I’ll be back soon Peridot.”

The three gems retreated back into the house, leaving Peridot behind. A feeling of dread began to overtake her, brief images of her nightmare flashing before her eyes. Normally solitude was a peaceful experience for Peridot, especially after coming to earth. Peridot’s mind began to race as fast as her pulse. An overwhelming feeling of dread began to grip her.

“What if something happens? What if she...doesn’t come back?”

Peridot felt helpless, even more so than when she had to regenerate herself. Eventually, the mixture of fear and anxiety became too much for her to handle, and she sprung into action. Peridot threw the door open and ran to the warp pad. The crystal gems were just about to leave, ready for another mission. Peridot dove into the warp pad, narrowly landing on top of it as a pillar of light enveloped them. 

******************************************************************

A shining light emerged from the warp pad, its brilliant white sheen even more noticeable in the dead field it sat in. Brown grass and twisted, long-dead trees plagued the landscape. Peridot fell to the ground as soon as the group had warped to their destination. It wasn’t until after she picked herself up that she noticed everyone staring at her. Steven was the first to speak up about her surprise appearance.

“I didn’t know you were coming with us Peridot!” he exclaimed happily.

“The way Pearl described it, the mission seemed urgent. As the most intellectually adept gem here, I figured you could use my assistance.” Peridot replied, nervously hoping the others wouldn’t see through her facade.

“I’m afraid you won’t be much help here,” Pearl said, walking past her, “I’m afraid our problem requires a bit of force.”

Pearl led the rest of the group to their objective. After a few minutes of walking, the group found themselves gazing upon a ruined castle, a giant pile of debris plugging the doorway. Pearl turned to face the others.

“Garnet, try and break through the doorway. I fear that there may be even more wreckage behind what we can already see, so it might not be easy.”

Garnet readied her gauntlets and struck the blockade. The pile didn’t budge, silently mocking her in its refusal to crumble. Garnet swung her fists again, repeatedly striking the debris with vicious blows. After a few more minutes of futile attacks, Garnet’s gauntlets faded away.

“It’s stuck.” she said simply.

“I was afraid of that,” Pearl replied, “as much as I hate to say it, I think we’re gonna need Sugilite for this.”

“Who’s Sugilite?” Peridot asked.

Amethyst cut in before anyone else could explain, “Oh don’t worry, you’ll like her. I see a lot of myself in her.” she laughed.

Peridot turned to Steven, confused, “Does Amethyst have a sister or something?”

“Well uh...you see-”

Steven was cut off by Garnet’s sudden shouting, “Ready Amethyst?”

“Ready!”

The two gems stood parallel to one another, and began to dance. Garnet held her arms apart and swayed her body from side to side, tapping her foot rhythmically. Amethyst put her hands behind her head and pushed her body to and fro in a standing worm dance. A warm glow emitted from their gems, growing larger as they continued to dance. Once their bodies were bathed in their individual lights, Amethyst charged towards Garnet. Garnet opened her arms wide, ready to catch her dance partner. It was only then that Peridot put 2-and-2 together.

“Are they doing what I think they’re do-”

Amethyst jumped into Garnet’s arms, their bodies melting into light as they enveloped one another. The shapeless light grew to colossal size, pulsating and shifting until it finally formed Sugilite. The monstrous gem greeted the world with an ear piercing roar.

“Oh my stars what the hell is that thing!?” Peridot shouted, frozen in fear.

Peridot’s fevered screaming caught Sugilite’s attention. The giant gem knelled down to Peridot, baring her fangs.

“The name’s Sugilite, shorty. Also known as the best damn thing to happen to this team.”

“Ahem,” Pearl interjected, “Sugilite, we need your help clearing this wreckage, if you please.”

Sugilite turned her attention to Pearl, her expression souring. Her four hands were tightened into fists, all of which seemed poised to strike as she stood back upright. The tension in the air was agonizing, only being broken when Sugilite roared again.

“Why should I help you?! You’re just going to leave me behind again!”

“Oh Sugilite we wouldn’t do that,” Pearl said with a nervous laugh, “you’re the only one who can help us with this.”

Sugilite scowled down at the smaller gem. She slowly scanned her surroundings, the only real things of note being Steven looking up at her, a mixture of fear and excitement dancing in his eyes, and Peridot, trembling a safe distance away. Sugilite’s grimace stretched into an evil smile.

“Alright I’ll help. But I’m taking some collateral, to make sure you don’t leave me behind this time!”

With one giant hand, she reached down and snatched Peridot off the ground and placed her on her shoulder. All Peridot could do at that point was look down upon where she once stood, to terrified to even speak.

“Enjoying the view Peridot?” Sugilite mocked, “Now, let’s get smashing!”

Sugilite readied a whip, looking identical to one of Amethyst’s were it not so much larger, along with a pair of purple gauntlets. Clasping them together, the gauntlets took of into the sky, only to be immediately tied down by her whip. She readied her makeshift flail, only to be interrupted by the gem on her shoulder.

“Do I really have to be up here?” Peridot asked, the fear falling from her words like rain on a metal roof.

“What’s wrong? Can’t handle all this?” Sugilite replied, gesturing over her body with her bottom set of hands.

Sugilite swung her flail towards the castle, sending destroyed pieces of it flying all over the decayed field. Back down on the ground, Steven generated a bubble around himself and Pearl to protect them from the rain of debris. Sugilite swung at the jammed doorway, destroying most of the wall it was originally a part of. Bricks and rocks flew everywhere, a few narrowly whizzing past Peridot’s head.

“Be careful you giant clod!” she yelled, clinging to Sugilite for dear life.

“If you aren't doing it rough you aren't doing it right!” Sugilite shouted in response, smashing more of the ruined castle.

As more rubble came crashing down from the sky around them, Pearl called up to the giant gem, a blue blush heating her face.

“Do you really have to talk like that when Steven is right here?! I know what you mean when you say things like that!”

“I blame Ruby,” Steven said nonchalantly, “and Amethyst, but mostly Ruby.”

With one final swing of her weapon, Sugilite sent the castle crumbling down. A cloud of dust swept up from the wreckage, the once proud castle in even worse shape now than it had been when the gems arrived. Sugilite let out a boisterous laugh as she looked over her handiwork. 

“Thank you Sugilite you were very helpful,” Pearl called, sounding as genuine as she could, “but you need to unfuse now.”

Sugilite spun to face Pearl, nearly sending Peridot flying, “Why should I runt?” she asked angrily.

“Because I need Garnet and Amethyst back. Truth be told you weren’t supposed to destroy the whole thing, but I didn’t want to interrupt your...erm...fun.”

“It was nice seeing you again Sugilite.” Steven waved happily.

“Alright fine,” Sugilite gripped, “but I better be back soon!”

Sugilite’s body began to fade away into light, prompting a panicked yell from Peridot, who desperately flailed her arms around in an attempt to find something to grab on to.

“Wait, wait, wait! I’m still up here!”

But it was too late, Sugilite had disappeared, leaving Amethyst, Garnet, and Peridot hanging in the air. The three fell back to the field below. Garnet and Amethyst landed expertly, while Peridot face planted behind them. 

“So why are we here again?” Amethyst asked as she pulled Peridot from the dirt.

“We’re looking for this,” Pearl said, her gem creating a hologram of a treasure chest, “it has been said that within this castle is a magical box, and within it is a legendary gem artifact. However, no one knows what that artifact could be, or if the box is real in the first place. If it is real, we need to find it and contain it. Now, it might take a long time but-”

“Found it.” Garnet said, pulling a large blue treasure chest from the rubble.

Pearl ran over and quickly inspected it, “Let me see here, golden trim, blue wood, yep this is it!”

Garnet attempted to open the box, but it stayed firmly shut. Pearl had to stop her from smashing it with her gauntlet. 

“The box is sealed shut, I’m not sure if it’s magic or gemtech or what. The point is, we need to find a way to open it, _without_ destroying the artifact inside.” Pearl said.

The group climbed back onto the warp pad, the pillar of light returning them to the house instantaneously. Pearl, Garnet, and Steven gathered around the box to try and figure out a way to open it, whilst Amethyst and Peridot headed outside. 

“Sorry you had to get mixed up in all that,” Amethyst said, “Sugilite’s a little...rowdy.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Peridot said flatly.

Amethyst could tell that Peridot’s mind was somewhere else, somewhere far away. At first she thought it may have had something to do with her nightmares again, but then she got a different idea.

“You’re not like, jealous that I fused with Garnet are you?”

Peridot continued to gaze off into space, “She’s an expert on fusion, and you are a tailor-made warrior. It makes sense you’d be able to fuse so easily.”

“No not like that,” Amethyst shook her head, “I mean it was pretty easy but, I just meant more that we did it at all.”

“You had to for the mission. Even if I did have a problem with it, there isn’t much I could do about it.”

Amethyst was beginning to doubt herself. It was obvious that something about watching her fuse threw Peridot off, but what? If it wasn’t Sugilite, and it wasn’t the fusion itself, what else could it be? Unless…

“Do you want to fuse with me?”

Peridot snapped to attention, her face growing a darker shade of green than normal, “What did you just say?”

“I said, do you want to fuse with me, Peridot?”

“Oh no I-I couldn’t”

“Why not?”

“Because it would be wrong.”

“How would it be wrong?”

“Oh come on,” Peridot scoffed, “a quartz warrior like you, fusing with a technician? That’s just sick.”

“You’re not on Homeworld anymore Peridot, gems can fuse with whoever they want,” she paused for a brief moment, “...as long as everyone involved is cool with it. Last time we had a non-consensual fusion it almost killed us.”

Peridot crossed her arms and averted her gaze from Amethyst, “Even so, I would probably just end up making you weaker. I can’t fight, I don’t even have a weapon.”

Amethyst placed a hand on Peridot’s shoulder, smiling, “It’s not all about fighting. Garnet stays fused all the time, even if she’s just hanging out. Being fused is nice, it makes you feel secure and safe, and when you’re fused, you’re never really alone either.”

Peridot looked up at Amethyst. Amethyst’s eyes were ablaze with enthusiasm. Everything was saying sounded good, almost too good to really be true. But...what did Peridot really have to lose?

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

“Really?” Amethyst asked excitedly.

“If you really want to,” Peridot said, trying to mask her own excitement, “but I’m not exactly versed in this.”

“Don’t worry I can show you, but I’ll be right back!”

Amethyst ran into the house, emerging a moment later with the other gems behind her. Steven sprinted up to Peridot, his eyes sparkling like stars.

“Oh my gosh Peridot! Are you and Amethyst really going to fuse?”

Peridot jerked her head towards Amethyst, her face flushing, “Did you have to tell everyone?!”

“We might need their help.” she explained.

Pearl, Garnet and Steven sat in the sand, Garnet clutching the box. Peridot and Amethyst stood a ways away from them, a few feet parallel of one another. The two stared deeply into each other, motionless.

“I don’t think I can do this with everyone watching.” Peridot whined.

“Don’t worry about them. Focus on me, I’ll even go nice and slow, just for you.”

Amethyst slowly swung her arms from side to side, keeping her body stationary. Peridot studied her movements for a moment before attempting mimic her. She had a hard time moving her arms without moving the rest of her body, but it was close. After a few minutes, Amethyst began to pick up the pace, rhythmically tapping her foot whilst swinging her arms. Peridot followed her lead, nearly falling over in the process. Their gems began to glow as they continued to dance.  
“If only her dancing could be this controlled all the time.” Pearl muttered, before being promptly shushed by Steven.

The dancing gems began to move towards each other. Slowly at first, but as their dancing picked up, so did their steps. The lights from their gems began to glow even brighter than before, the colors mixing as they got closer. Once she was in arm’s reach, Amethyst grabbed Peridot by the waist and spun her around, their bodies melting into light and becoming one before she could finish her twirl.

******************************************************************

“What the…? Where am I?” Peridot said groggily.

She found herself in a black void. The ground was smooth and reflective, and the sky was filled to the brim with stars, of all different sizes and colors. Peridot wandered aimlessly, not sure of where exactly she was headed. For some reason however, she did not feel dread. A bit of confusion, but no dread. No fear. Not even a hint of concern. This place felt safe and warm, like a heavy blanket.

“There you are!”

Peridot looked over and found Amethyst sitting on the reflective ground. Peridot made her way over and sat next to her.

“Congrats P-dot, we fused!” she said happily.

“Wait, we did? This is fusion?”

“Well sorta, I can’t really control our body by myself so I’ve just been letting it do its own thing for a while. I’m sure it’s fine.”

Peridot looked down at her reflection in the ground. She had really done it. She fused, and it felt...nice. She wasn’t sure what to expect when she agreed to this, but she was pleasantly surprised. 

“This is nice,” Amethyst said “but I don’t think I could stay fused all the time like Garnet does.”

“Me neither.” Peridot agreed.

Although Peridot felt safe inside her and Amethyst’s shared consciousness, an uneasy feeling began to overtake her. Soon they would unfuse, and she would be helpless again. Even if they stayed fused for days or weeks, she would still be faced with the inevitability of it coming to an end.

“Alright,” Amethyst said suddenly, causing Peridot to jump, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Peridot lied. “I think it’s just because I’ve never done this before.”

“It’s because of that dream you had isn’t it? It’s still freaking you out?”

“What? Where did you get that idea? It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

“Oh it’s just uh….just..”

Amethyst cut her off before she could finish, “Peridot we’re sharing a brain right now. I can literally feel you trying to come up with a lie.

Peridot let out a heavy sigh, “Alright fine! Yes it was that stupid dream!”

“What even happened? In the dream I mean.”

Peridot shuddered a bit as she recounted the tale, “I was being chased down by Jasper. I couldn’t get away, and she was taunting me the whole time. Telling me how I was going to die, and how you were all next.”

Amethyst put an arm around Peridot’s shoulder. She could see that the green gem was hurting, but she also couldn’t help but feel like she was exaggerating how scary her nightmare was.

“No offense but that really isn’t too bad. I mean it isn’t good but-”

“It’s more than that!” Peridot snapped, yelling louder than she meant to, “Look. I’m a Peridot. I’m not a fighter like you are. I am a technician. An engineer. A nerd. If i was ever in a situation like that, I’d be good as shattered.”

“I told you already, I’m always going to be here for you.”

“But that isn’t true! You go on missions, and sometimes you don’t come back for days! Or if you’re asleep in your room, I can’t get in by myself. I know you want to help but...the truth is you can’t.”

“You’re wrong.”

Peridot looked up at Amethyst, a much more serious look on her face than what she was accustomed to.

“I know that I’m not always there physically, but that doesn’t mean I’m not coming back. Even if I am gone, if I thought you were in danger I would come rushing back. I just wanted to make you feel better, I wish you told me how you felt earlier.”

“It’s embarrassing,” Peridot explained, “I don’t have powers, or a weapon, and I either have to rely on others to save me, or just let myself get killed.”

“I know the earth is still kind of a scary place for you, but it really isn’t that bad. I told you before, I’m going to help you see that, one way or another.”

The two sat in silence, the stillness of their joined mind inviting an ominous chill to surge through their very beings. After what seemed like an eternity, Peridot spoke up.

“Thank you.”

Amethyst smiled, “For what?”

“For just...trying.”

“No problem. There is one more thing though.”

“What is it?”

“You didn’t want to fuse with me at all, did you?”

Peridot considered lying, but knew it would be futile, “I did but, I only really did it to make myself feel better.”

“Did it work?”

Peridot gave a half-hearted shrug in response. 

“Well, we’ll have to do it again, when you’re ready. Fusion is a special thing, and I don’t want to ruin it for you by making your first time all sad and junk.”

“We should probably revert back to our original forms, shouldn't we?” Peridot asked.

“Might be a good idea.”

******************************************************************

When the two defused, they found themselves at the lighthouse atop the temple. It took them a moment to notice the other gems were there with them, weapons drawn.

“What’s going on?” Amethyst asked.

“We don’t know!” Steven yelled in a panic, “You guys just turned into this...thing! You weren't even talking, you just kept destroying stuff!”

They could see beach city faintly in the distance. People ran rampant in the streets, which were littered with overturned cars. A few buildings were on fire, if not outright destroyed. Peridot and Amethyst exchanged an awkward glance, before Amethyst noticed a large blue object next to Peridot.

“Hey look! We got the chest open!”

It was true, sort of. The magical blue chest had a giant crack running along the front of it, and the lid was raised only a fraction of an inch. Peridot gingerly picked the box up and opened it. The lid creaked loudly as she did so, the only noise being made at the time. The other gems waited on baited breath, time itself slowing so it too could hear Peridot’s words as she inspected the contents of the chest.

“It’s empty.”


	10. Seven Days A Shipper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So uh...here's a thing. There was a recent episode where Peridot finds out she has the power to control metal, which is all well and good. I decided that I would very much like to be able to incorporate this power into the fic, which is were a small problem comes in. As anyone who's read this from ch 1 can tell, this is set to take place....well before it would logically make sense for Peridot to have said powers. So bringing said power in would be a bit tricky. I didn't want to just magically give her the powers, (despite what my user name might tell you, I don't enjoy taking a dump all over cannon to satisfy my own delusions, i want to story to still make sense.) so, what was I to do? I realized that the best way to do it would be to simply skip ahead, Go to the point in which she would have these powers. But how much do we skip? Well all we gotta do is some quick math. If we take into account when the fic starts, when the most recent hiatus ended, how much time has passed in each continuity.....carry the one....divide by Peridot..we get...a week. (Said week ending with Peridot discovering her powers) How convenient. After this we're pretty much going back to telling cannon to shove it so....sorry for the inconvenience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tl:dr, we're skipping ahead a week's time to incorporate elements from cannon, while still keeping the story cohesive. But don't think that means everyone's been sitting around doing nothing for a week, in fact, it's been a fairly eventful week all things considered. Wish I could tell you about it. However, that job is better left to my favorite little framing device, take it away shorty~

_Log date, 8-4-12. A few days ago Amethyst and I fused for the first time. While the results of said fusion were less than optimal, it did truly help us to grow closer...pun not intended. In fact, just today Amethyst challenged me to a contest that they hold here on earth. The results of which were…..wait. I’m getting ahead of myself. It all started at the barn…_

Peridot sat in the dark corner of the barn, the glow of her portable television illuminating her face. Lapis was gone, so it left her with time to watch Camp Pining Hearts without interruption. She let out a loud groan as the credits rolled.

“Six seasons and they’re still not together. Honestly, when are people going to realize that Pierre and Percy are the only-”

The world was spared from another one of her ship-based rants by a knock at the door. Quickly putting the TV away, she ran over to the barn door and heaved it open.

“Hey P-dot.” Amethyst said, rocking on her heels in the doorway.

“Hello Amethyst.”

“How would you like to help me with a special mission?”

“Why of course I’ll help,” she said smugly, “after all, I am the most intelligent gem here, I would be nothing less than an asset. So, what is our mission?”

“We’re stealing donuts.”

Peridot followed Amethyst from her barn down into Beach City. The sun was beginning to set, casting a pleasant pink glow over the landscape. The two ducked down behind a bush near the donut shop as Amethyst rattled off her plan.

“Alright, one of us has to sneak in, grab some donuts, and get out.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Peridot reassured her, “after all, thanks to you and Steven, I’m practically an expert on Earth culture. “I’ll be able to blend in seamlessly.”

“Uh Peridot, I know you don’t get out much but there aren't exactly a lot of bright green midgets running around this time of year.”

“Well what do you suggest then?”

“I’ll distract the people inside, all you have to do is grab the boxes on the counter. Got it?”

“Affirmative.”

Stepping out from their hiding place, Amethyst shapeshifted into a gigantic pterodactyl. With a terrifying shriek she took to the skies, circling the donut shop. Her passing resemblance to the monster that had nearly killed the both of them made Peridot shudder. Lars and Sadie burst through the double doors, panicking at the sight of Amethyst.

“What the hell is that thing?!” Lars screamed.

Peridot ran behind them and slipped into the front entrance. She frantically searched the place, finding three boxes stacked on one another upon the front counter. She grabbed them and ran as fast as she could, delicately balancing the boxes as she did so. She saw a giant shadow pass over her as Amethyst followed her from the sky.

_Although these ‘donuts’ were heavier than I expected, I was able to make it back to the barn without any trouble. After assuming her regular form, Amethyst challenged me to something she referred to as an ‘eating contest’ the goal of which is to eat more than the other person in a set amount of time. Although neither of us have a need to consume food, her history of doing so on a daily basis gave her a marginal advantage. After pointing this out to her, she came up with a new idea._

“Where did you even get those fire salts?” Peridot asked, a tad uneasy.

“Don’t worry about it.” Amethyst said, dumping the fire salts into a box of donuts.

She held the box out in front of Peridot, who eyed it apprehensively. The fire salts sizzled and snapped, covering the pastries in a hot, pink mess. Amethyst took one from the box and brought it to her mouth.

“Let’s see if you can handle heat.” she said, eating the donut in one bite.

Peridot looked on in horror, expecting the fire salts to have a devastating effect. Amethyst began to sweat, a strained feeling in her eyes. She clutched at her stomach, wincing in pain. She rolled onto the ground, trembling.

“Amethyst...are you going to be okay?” Peridot asked nervously.

Amethyst’s gaze met Peridot’s, her eyes full of pain. She attempted to say something, but couldn’t bring herself to speak. After a moment, the trembling stopped. She looked back up at Peridot, who looked like she was ready to faint. Amethyst forced herself to stand. Peridot jumped up next to her, a panic beginning to build within her.

“Amethyst, please tell me you’re going to be okay!”

Amethyst let out a small burp, accompanied by a miniscule flame emerging from her mouth.

“That’s better.” she laughed.

Peridot was not as amused, “You were faking that whole thing, weren’t you?”

“A little bit,” she admitted, “your turn Peri, unless you don’t think you can handle it.”

“Of course I can handle it!” Peridot shouted, “I am a masterfully manufactured, era two Peridot! The co-savior of Earth! I am not intimidated by some fire salt.

“Then prove it.” Amethyst said, shoving the box under Peridot’s nose.

“Fine, I will!”

Peridot snatched three donuts from the box and shoved them into her mouth. The heat was almost unbearable, but Peridot forced herself to swallow them. Amethyst watched the display, eyes wide.

“Are you sure that was a good idea?”

Smoke began to rise from Peridot’s body. Her normally green skin quickly turned a bright shade of red, while sparks flew from her hair. She was quickly drenched with sweat as the fire salts assaulted her from the inside out. Without warning, her hair burst into flames! When she opened her mouth to scream, a pillar of fire burst from it, causing her to panic even more. Amethyst chased Peridot down as she frantically ran in circles, unleashing gigantic bursts of flame into the evening sky.

_Needless to say, I was victorious._

**************************************************************************************

_Log date, 8-5-12. Amethyst and the others left on a mission early this morning. Lapis is still gone, so I figured that would mean spending the day unattended. It became obvious however that I would not be that fortunate…_

Peridot pushed her hay pile close to the barn wall. She was attempting to find a way to place the TV, herself, and the pile in such a way where the light wouldn’t fill a majority of the barn if she wanted to watch it at night. Anything to stop Lapis from complaining. Of course the issue of the sound would still be there, but Peridot figured she’d think of a solution later. She heard a small noise as she moved the TV. A small picture frame sat face down on the floor, knocked over by Peridot’s appliance shuffling. She sighed as she looked at the photo it contained. Amethyst and Peridot, faces pressed together to fit into the frame. It seemed like so long ago that she gave her that picture, and she had no idea that it would really come to mean anything. Peridot couldn't bring herself to say it outloud, but she always worried when Amethyst went off on missions. She knew she had a bad habit of getting herself poofed, and the thought of anything worse happening sent chills down her spine. Her solemn thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the barn door being opened. Peridot was surprised to see Greg of all people standing in the doorway, looking distressed.

“Oh uh, hey,” he said, surprised to find anyone actually there “Peridot right? Do you have any clue where Steven is?”

“He’s on a mission with the other gems. I don’t know when they’ll be back.” she responded, still trying to fit everything into a tight corner.

“Oh great.” Greg said dryly.

Peridot shuffled around the barn, pushing her hay pile to and fro. She had finally found what seemed to be a good position for all of her belongings. TV parallel to the hay pile, (the back end of which faced towards Lapis’ pile.) the photo and tape recorder close by. Peridot flopped into the hay pile to make sure she had a good vantage point of the television, when she noticed Greg still standing at the door.

“Is there a reason you’re still here?”

“Peridot I really hate to ask but,” he said uneasy, “I really need help, and I have no one else to ask.”

“Very well,” Peridot sighed, “lead the way to your problem. As the highest intellectual of the Crystal Gems, whatever troubles you should be no problem for me.”

_The human had made the situation seem desperate, but part of me believed it was simple earthling problem that could be easily solved. I was….half right._

Greg led Peridot to the car wash, a large van sitting outside. The entire thing was caked with mud, sticks, seaweed, and trash. A large display in the shape of a human head sat on top of it, half broken. Peridot looked at the wreck wide-eyed as Greg spoke.

“Here it is. It’s a little too much for me to handle myself, normally I’d ask Steven but he’s not around.”

“How did this happen?” Peridot asked, eyes locked to the disaster in front of her.

“The mayor’s son took his dad’s van for a joy ride. Brought it back around 2 in the morning looking like it was part of a turf war. I need to clean this thing up as quick as I can so the mayor can get back to….whatever he does.”

Greg retreated into the car wash and returned with two hoses. He handed one to Peridot and gestured towards the van.

“I'll go around the other side and spray it all down, you do the same on this side. We’ll have this done in no time if we work together.”

Peridot aimed the sprayer at the van and squeezed it as hard as she could. The sudden pressure from the water nearly knocked the small gem over, but she wouldn’t let a menial human task get the best of her. She watched as the gunk washed off the vehicle, wishing for once that Lapis was around. The two did their work in silence for a few awkward minutes, before Greg called from the other side.

“How’s it going over there Peridot?” he asked.

“Fine.” she replied flatly.

_The task that the human Greg needed my assistance with was incredibly simple, although time consuming. He attempted numerous times to make small talk with me, but it never went anywhere. To my surprise, he did eventually say something that caught my interest._

“So, I hear you’re involved with Amethyst now.” 

“Uh y-yes,” Peridot said, her face burning slightly, “we’ve been involved for some time now.”

“Any reason you don’t go on missions with her?”

“Prior experiences have proven that I would be less than optimal support in direct combat. It’s for the best I stay behind.”

“I know how you feel,” he chuckled, “back when Rose was alive, I spent days at a time waiting for her and the gems to get back.”

Peridot sprayed the van, silently contemplating his words. So far, Steven was the only human Peridot could really claim to have any sort of connection with. But Steven wasn’t here, and even if he was, she wouldn’t want to tell him what was on her mind. But Greg seemed to have an understanding of what she was going through. He had knowledge of the situation, something she desperately needed, no matter how much she hated to admit it.

“How did you deal with it?”

“With what?” he asked, obviously surprised Peridot was still talking.

“Having to sit around and wait. Normally I can find something to keep me occupied but...sometimes it gets to be a bit...much.”

“Missing your lady friend huh? A good thing to remember is that she misses you too. I bet she’s itching to get back so she can see you as soon as she can.”

“I hope so,” Peridot sighed, “sometimes I just feel like..l-l-l-ACHOO!”

Peridot’s unexpected sneeze sent her falling onto her backside. The dropped hose sprayed water all over the ground below as Peridot attempted to grab it. 

“Bless you,” Greg laughed, “you know, there’s an old urban legend that says when you sneeze like that, it means someone’s talking about you. I bet Amethyst is talking about you to the other gems right now.”

“What do you think she’s saying?”

“Oh she’s probably just telling them about something cute you said or something fun you guys did together, you know, couple stuff.”

“Couple stuff...” Peridot repeated, her face growing a dark shade of green.

“Hey Peridot, you can turn your hose off now.”

Peridot looked up at the can and realized that she had been spraying the clean van unnecessarily for some time now. The mud and trash was gone, but the vehicle now appeared to be waterlogged. Greg walked around the van, quickly inspecting it, before turning to face Peridot again.

“Alright all we gotta do is scrub it down and we’ll be all done!”

Before Peridot could respond, a voice cut through the still air, causing her to spin in place to find its source.

“Peridot! Peridot there you are!”

“Amethyst!” she called back.

Peridot felt a large hand on shoulder. She looked up and saw Greg standing next to her, a warm smile on his face. 

“I’ll handle the rest on my own. You go have fun.”

“I thought you needed help.”

“This is more important. Go get some couple stuff done.”

_Although the inhabitants of this planet confound me to no end, I have learned that some of them are capable of dispensing helpful information on occasion. Perhaps in the future I should go to him for more detailed knowledge on ‘couple stuff’._

**************************************************************************************

_Log date, 8-6-12. The rituals of this planet continue to confuse me. The humans, and by extension, Amethyst, make a big deal over incredibly inconsequential things. Then, they proceed to insist that there’s some bigger reason that I don’t see. I can’t tell if they’re trying to validate their own beliefs, or simply trying to mess with me._

Peridot, Amethyst, and Steven sat on the couch watching TV. Amethyst absentmindedly flipped through channels, desperately trying to find something worth watching. 

“This stinks,” Steven said with an annoyed grumble, “all the good shows are on hiatus.”

After a few more minutes of channel surfing, they finally settled on a cheesy looking movie, finding nothing else interesting. The three simply zoned out as the movie played out on the small screen. Peridot snapped to attention as a long-winded kiss scene took place. She looked on, bewildered.

“Why do they do that?” she asked.

“Ratings.” Steven stated simply.

“No no, I mean why do humans do that? I don’t understand the significance.”

“It’s a sign of affection Peridot,” Amethyst said, “people do it when they’re into each other.”

“Like this?” Peridot asked, leaning in for a kiss.

Amethyst lightly pushed her away, laughing, “Slow your roll wondernerd.”

“But...you said.”

“It’s more intimate than that Peridot. You can’t just go for it, especially the first time. You gotta make it special.”

“Special? All we’re doing is pushing our physical constructs together. That sounds like hugging, something we already do.”

“Yeah but, it’s more than that. It’s like, another step up, you know?”

“All I know is that if it was really that important, we would have done it by now.”

_Apparently my logic offended Amethyst. She ended up storming out of the house, and I followed suit. I was able to catch up with her on the beach._

“Amethyst please wait.”

“Peridot, I’ve told you already, you don't know what you’re talking about.”

“Then explain it to me! If it’s really that special than prove it!”

Amethyst stopped in her tracks and turned around. She walked back over to Peridot until their faces were only a few inches apart. Despite not physically touching, Peridot could feel the heat coming off of Amethyst’s body, a feeling she felt simultaneously intimidating and exceedingly pleasant.

“See?” Amethyst said with a smirk, “Just being this close is making you nervous. I’m pretty sure a kiss would make you faint.”

“Perhaps we could….test that theory?” Peridot replied, feigning confidence.

“Oh, so now you think it’s a big deal?” Amethyst laughed.

“Well the way you described it, it seems like something we should be doing.”

Amethyst rolled her eyes, “Like I told you, the first one is supposed to be special.”

“Well I…,” Peridot said blushing, “I don’t really know how to do it. I don’t think I could make it special. I would appreciate having someone...teach me how.”

“Well,” Amethyst smirked, “when you put it like that, I can’t really say no.”

Peridot wasn’t completely sure what had just happened. One moment Amethyst is mad at her, the next she wanted to kiss her. Perhaps this was some sort of test? Peridot still wasn’t convinced that this was as big of a deal as Amethyst made it out to be, but the nervous feeling stirring in her gut was beginning to change her mind. The idea of Amethyst wanting to share a special moment like this with her made Peridot feel absolutely tickled. Especially in her nose for some odd reason…

“Ah...ah...AH CHOO!!”

Before their lips could connect, Peridot accidentally sent both of their foreheads smashing into each other. The force of the impact sent both gems falling onto their backs, wincing in pain.

“Oh god...ow. God damn it Peridot!”

“Ow...right in the gem. Owwww…”

_We decided it would be for the best to postpone the idea._

**************************************************************************************

_Log date, 8-7-12. For the past few days, I have been using the camera Amethyst left here to take intel of the surrounding area. After the incident with the Rubies, and knowing that Jasper could be lurking around anywhere, it has occurred to me that becoming aware of the dangers close to my living space would be of great importance. However, due to my lack of information regarding this planet, I require assistance in identifying said dangers. Luckily, Amethyst has agreed to come to the barn today to help me with exactly that. I will report my findings after we inspect what I have gathered._

When Amethyst entered the barn, she found Peridot clutching the camera in the corner. She was eyeing it with an urgent, panicked look on her face. Her face shot up at Amethyst. She ran over to her, camera in her fist.

“Amethyst! Amethyst! I think there might be some sort of epidemic in the local plant life! The Earth could be in terrible danger!”

“Woah dude, calm down. What are you talking about?”

“Look for yourself!” she said, handing Amethyst the camera, “As you can see, the normally green foliage is beginning to turn orange and brown. I don’t know what it is, but it’s spreading.”

Amethyst took a look at the small camera screen. All it took was more look at Peridot’s worried face to send her into a fit of laughter.

“Why are you laughing?!” Peridot yelled, “This could be a real problem!”

“Calm down, that’s normal,” Amethyst explained, “when the season’s change from summer to fall, the leaves change color.”

“This is...supposed to happen?”

“Yep.”

Peridot took the camera back from Amethyst and flipped through the rest of the pictures. After a minute, she shoved the screen back into Amethyst’s face, her voice rising in panic again.

“Are you sure that the change in coloration has nothing to do with these creatures? I’ve found several of them on or near the discolored specimens.”

Amethyst peered at the image in front of her. The picture was off a tall tree, its leaves partially changed to their autumn colors. Sitting on one of its branches was a small, brown rodent with a long bushy tail. Amethyst turned her attention back to the alarmed gem.

“That’s a squirrel Peridot. I’m no expert, but I don’t think they can kill trees.”

“So this odd creature isn’t dangerous?”

“Only if you’re an acorn.” Amethyst laughed.

Amethyst watched as Peridot flipped through the rest of her pictures. Most of her pictures turned out to either be of the ‘rotting tree epidemic’, or various animals that lived close by. One photo caught Amethyst’s attention.

“What was that?”

“Oh that was uh..nothing. Probably another squirrel or whatever it’s called.” Peridot said defensively.

“It definitely wasn’t a squirrel,” she said, snatching the camera from Peridot’s hands, “it looked like-”

Amethyst looked down at the camera, and found that she was staring at herself. She looked like she was in the middle of laughing, her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth wide open. She was standing on the beach, the sunlight reflecting off of the water causing her to practically glow. She could vaguely remember the situation in which that picture must have been taken, but the specifics weren't coming to her.

“When did you take this? Why did you take this?”

“A few days ago. I needed to test the camera,” Peridot blushed, “you were talking to Steven and he must’ve said something funny. You started laughing and I thought you looked….nice that’s all.”

“If you wanted another picture, you could’ve just asked.” Amethyst snickered.

“Regardless,” Peridot said, trying to change the subject, “it would seem my concerns were unfounded. Thank you for assisting me.”

“No problem nerd.” Amethyst said as she turned to leave.

“Wait!” Peridot called.

“What’s up?” Amethyst said looking over her shoulder.

“Could we...take another picture? Together?”

Amethyst cracked a small smile, “Sure. Come on, the light’s better out here.”

**************************************************************************************

_Log date, 8- 8-12. The Crystal Gems went out on yet another mission. This one was short however, and they came back relatively quickly. It soon became apparent that their brief departure was unintentional._

Peridot sat half asleep on the couch next to Steven. The gems had left only about a half hour ago, but the two of them were already bored out of their minds. The sudden flash of the warp pad snapped Peridot out of her daze. Before either her or Steven could greet the gems, Pearl’s voice cut through the house.

“Honestly Amethyst, if you could just pay attention on our missions, we wouldn’t have so many monsters getting away!”

“What’s the big deal P? We can just catch it later.”

“The big deal is that it is still out there! Who knows what kind of havoc it could be wreaking!”

“All it was doing was stomping around in the woods when we found it, and that’s all it’s going to be doing the next time we find it.”

“Why do you always have to be so impossible to talk to?!” Pearl steamed.

_I was fairly used to hearing Amethyst and Pearl argue. At least, I thought I was. For some reason listening to the two of them caused something in me to snap._

“Will you leave her alone already!” Peridot shouted, “It doesn’t matter if the monster got away, Amethyst is more than capable of taking care of it. Something you would know if you weren’t so incompetent!”

“Incompetent!? Why you little-”

Amethyst quickly positioned herself between the two of them, “Woah woah, P, calm down. Peridot didn’t mean it.”

“Yes I did! How can you be defending her she was just-”

Amethyst quickly clasped a hand over Peridot’s mouth. She looked back up at Pearl, who looked ready to throw both her and Peridot through the window.

“Look Pearl, I’m sorry. I promise I’ll try to be better about the monsters from now on. And don’t be mad at Peridot, she was just sticking up for me.”

“Well I...suppose that it’s alright,” Pearl said slightly calming down, “I’m going to go see if I can track down that monster.”

Amethyst turned her attention back to Peridot as Pearl warped away, “Dude, what were you thinking?”

“I was trying to help.” Peridot grumbled.

“I appreciate you trying to stick up for me, but you probably shouldn’t freak out at Pearl. She’s just trying to make sure that we finish our missions.”

Peridot crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, “Well she can do that without speaking to you as if she’s your superior. If anything, you should be in charge.”

“Trust me, you don’t want me in charge. But like I said, thanks for sticking up for me. I should probably go help Pearl, but I’ll be back soon.”

Amethyst gave Peridot a quick peck on the cheek before running back to the warp pad. Peridot’s face immediately heated up as she froze in place.

“Peridot?” Steven said waving his hand in front of her eyes, “Peridot are you okay?”

“I think I’m beginning to understand the significance.

**************************************************************************************

_Log date, 8-9-12. At Amethyst’s insistence, I apologized to Pearl for what I said to her yesterday. It was supposed to be short and simple, just go in, say sorry, and leave. However, it seems that my missions are never as short as I initially believe them to be._

Peridot slowly opened Steven’s front door. Pearl was the only one in the house, picking up a mess of pink shirts on the floor. Peridot made her way over to her, catching a small part of the conversation she was having with herself before she noticed Peridot’s presence.

“Why on earth does Steven leave all his clothes all over the-oh. Hello Peridot.”

“Pearl. I just wanted to say that I’m...sorry for what I said yesterday.” Peridot said, the words coming out painfully.

“Oh Peridot,” Pearl responded in surprise, “don’t worry about it. You were standing up for Amethyst, I understand.”

“You do?”

“Of course,” she laughed, “I was in love once. I know how it feels. The want, the need to dedicate yourself to the person you care most about.”

Pearl gazed out the window for a silent moment, her eyes beginning to mist. She let out a small chuckle before she continued her thought.

“I have to admit, I’m a little jealous. Amethyst has been so happy ever since you two got together. I miss having another person to spend that kind of time with.”

“What happened to the person you used to spend that time with?”

“She decided her time was better spent….elsewhere. It stung at the time but, I stand by her decision.” Pearl said solemnly.

_I’m not completely sure what Pearl meant by all that, but it seemed genuine. I ended up staying there for quite sometime before finally excusing myself. Amethyst was waiting outside by the time I got out._

“Took ya long enough,” Amethyst said, “what happened?”

“We were just talking. I’m starting to have a hard time telling whether she’s happy or sad.”

“I don’t think she even knows sometimes. Come on, let’s go do something fun.”

_Although Pearl can get on my nerves, she does seem to be knowledgeable about the kind of relationship me and Amethyst have. Perhaps I should ask her about her own experiences sometime. Amethyst insists it would be a poor decision on my part, but I think she’s exaggerating._

**************************************************************************************

_Log date, 8-10-12. Today, I discovered that I have powers! Well, a power anyway. It appears I can manipulate metallic objects at will. (An ability that would’ve come in handy numerous times already, but I digress.) Amethyst has graciously agreed to help me find a practical purpose for this new found ability._

“Alright Peridot, just do it like we talked about.”

Peridot raised a hand slowly, causing a spoon to float from its spot on the table. Carefully, she manipulated the spoon to take a large scoop of ice cream from a container sitting in front of her. She carefully moved the spoon into Amethyst’s waiting mouth.

“Alright!” Amethyst said, “Now, just keep doing that until the container is empty.”

“Amethyst,” groaned Pearl, “you’re supposed to be helping her learn to fight with her powers, not to feed you with them.”

“Hey it isn’t my fault we don’t have a giant monster to fight.”

Suddenly, Steven burst through the door.

“Giant monster! It’s at the barn!”

Pearl, Peridot, and Amethyst followed Steven up to the barn. Garnet was already there, doing her best to fight off the monster. The monster looked like a lobster with the head of a shark. The creature was the size of a bus, and easily knocked Garnet away as she attempted to swing at it.

“That’s that freak from before!” Amethyst yelled.

“Let’s get it!” Pearl called, rushing at it with her spear.

“Now’s my chance!” Peridot said, only to immediately realize she had no metal on hand.

Peridot ran into the barn, frantically searching for something she could use her powers on. The barn had been cleaned out ever since her and Lapis moved in, leaving any scrap she could’ve used long gone. 

“Aha!” Peridot exclaimed, coming across the remains of her robot, “I’ll just use this!”

Peridot held her hands out infront of her and attempted to force the metal into the air. It only got about an inch of the ground, but she was able to move it. Slowly. Although she wasn’t physically lifting it, she could still feel its immense weight as she hauled it outside. She had to drop it to the ground and catch her breath, but a loud shriek cut her rest short.

“Peridot! Help us!”

The other gems were trapped in the monsters horrific claws. It waved them around in the air, roaring triumphantly. The screams of its captives polluted the air around it.  
“Oh my stars!” Peridot screamed, “Let them go!”

Suddenly, the large hunk of metal flew straight into the monster’s gem, poofing it instantly. The gems fell to the earth, surprised, but unhurt. Garnet quickly bubbled the monster's gem and sent it away. She turned to Peridot.

“Looks like you did it.”

I-I did? Oh my stars, I did it!”

Peridot threw her fists up into the air in celebration, causing the metal to fly off into the horizon. The gems all watched as it flew high over the distant mountains with a loud crash.

“We should probably go get that.” Garnet said.

_The scrap from my robot has still not been recovered. Peridot out._


	11. My Crappy OC. (Admit It, We All Have At Least One.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot wants her and Amethyst inside each other. FOR SCIENCE!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I did a small bit of searching, and I couldn't find anyone using the same name for a Amethyst/Peridot fusion that I have picked, at least for the sake of a fic. (saw a few for like, commissioned pieces of fan art, but a majority of those weren't even fusions, they just had the same name.) If there is another fic out there that uses the same name for the same purpose, and me also using it is a problem, if it is brought to my attention I'll go back and change it. If it's not a problem...than I guess just disregard the previous statement. Enjoy.

“The answer is no, Amethyst.”

“Come on Garnet, why not? She could help us!”

“Peridot being able to poof that monster so easily was impressive, but that doesn’t mean she can accompany us on our missions. She isn’t much a fighter.”

Garnet and Amethyst stood in the living room, their argument spiraling into its forty-fifth minute. Steven and Pearl watched from an uneasy distance. Amethyst looked like she was starting to get incredibly fed up with Garnet’s complete disregard for Peridot’s ability, while Garnet’s expression hadn’t changed. It was a simple suggestion, let Peridot go with the rest of the gems on a few missions, perhaps see if that could help her discover more of her powers. Garnet however, promptly shot the idea down.

“So what if she isn’t? Pearl wasn’t a fighter until Rose showed up. Steven’s not a fighter, but he’s still helpful. Hell, Sapphire isn’t even a fighter. But thanks to her, we have you, and you’re the strongest one here.”

“Amethyst,” Pearl intervened, “I understand how you feel about Peridot, but the truth is she’d be more of a liability than an asset. She doesn’t even have a weapon, and we can’t guarantee there’s going to be metal around for her to use her powers on. The truth of the matter is you yourself still need a lot of training, and her being there could cause you to slip up.”

“If you guys would just listen for one sec-”

Amethyst was cut off by the loud creak of Steven’s front door, and the voice that immediately came through it.

“Amethyst please,” Peridot said as she made her way inside, “don’t bother. As much as I hate to admit it, Pearl and Garnet are right.”

“You heard all of that?” Pearl questioned, “You’re not…offended?”

“Not at all,” Peridot said in an unusually calm manner, “I’m a Peridot, we don’t get weapons. The truth is my powers were likely born of a mistake, or some sort of test that was going on when I was put in the ground. However, I have come up with a theory relating to this situation that I require help to test.”

“Lay it on us wondernerd.” Amethyst snickered.

“Well, I have reason to believe that although I myself am not a warrior gem, I think I may have the ability to greatly increase Amethyst’s already considerable power.”

“How do you plan on doing that?” Garnet asked, her future vision giving her an uncomfortable idea where Peridot was going with this.

“I was recounting to Lazuli when I saw you and Amethyst merge into that...abomination, when it hit me. You two were huge! You were unstoppable, powerful, threatening, but most of all, hard to control. However, if me and Amethyst were to fuse instead, I believe we could attain a similar level of power, without the control issue. Amethyst and I already share a considerable bond, which if I understand your own unique lifestyle Garnet, would allow us to control ourselves more easily, with time. Can you imagine it? Between her skills and my intellect, we could be unstoppable!”

“Hold on,” Steven said in a panic, “last time you guys fused you nearly destroyed the city! Normally I’m all for this stuff but it doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

“I agree with Steven!” Pearl said rushing to his side, “Any time Amethyst is involved in a fusion, the results tend to be a bit….rowdy. I’m not sure you’d be able to handle it, Peridot.”

Garnet walked through the two of them, stopping in front of Peridot. She took a long look at the green gem standing before her, then at Amethyst. Despite her eyes being obscured by her visor, the two smaller gems could feel her stare tearing through them both. After a long moment of silence, Garnet broke her own stoicism with a small smile.

“Fusing for the sake of power is wrong, but something tells me there’s more to this than that. Besides, it would be good for you two to learn to control your fusion.”

“All right!” Amethyst cheered, “Come on Peri, let’s get outside and mix it up!”

The two short gems ran out the door, the others following behind them. As they left, Pearl quickly pulled Garnet aside.

“Garnet, are you one hundred percent sure this is a good idea?” she asked, her voice shaking with worry.

“Nope.”

“Then why in the world are we letting them do this?!”

“If we try to tell them not to, they’re just gonna fuse behind our backs. It would be better to help them control themselves, rather than try to stop them. Take it from me, when two gems want to be fused, they find a way to fuse.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Pearl admitted, “but we’re going to have to monitor them closely.”

The gems made their way onto the beach, Amethyst and Peridot running ahead of them. The two gems stood parallel to one another, a couple of feet of space separating them. They stood, motionlessly looking into one another. A mixture of excitement and uncertainty made the air around them hang heavy. They waited there as the others formed a small crowd a few yard away.

“Alright you two,” Garnet called, “you’ve fused once before, this should be the easy part.”

“Ready Peri?” Amethyst asked, eliciting a silent nod from Peridot in response.

Amethyst widened her stance, shaking her body to and fro. She swung her arms from side to side, tapping her foot to the rhythm of the imaginary music. Peridot attempted to match her, mesmerized by Amethyst’s movements. Peridot didn’t have the same control over her physical form Amethyst did, causing her mimicked movements to appear clumsy and stilted. Refined or not, the dancing was doing its job. Their gems began to glow, the warming light enveloping their bodies. The two ran towards each other as fast as they could. As the distance between them closed, Peridot’s foot slipped in the loose sand, sending her tumbling into Amethyst with a loud yelp. Peridot face planted into the sand, as Amethyst fell onto her backside next to her. Amethyst groaned in pain.

“Ugh Peridot you clod!”

Peridot looked up at her, wide-eyed, “Did….you just call me a..?”

Amethyst stared back at Peridot, not completely realizing what she had just said. The mixture of surprise and borderline offensive on Peridot’s face made Amethyst snicker. Soon the snickers turned to giggles, before finally erupting into full-blown laughter. The sound of Amethyst's laughter echoed in Peridot’s mind, filling her with glee. Peridot tried her best to hold in her own laughter, to no avail. The two rolled in the sand, filling the beach with their laughter. Light flooded from their gems, making them barely visible to the others. They barely seemed to notice as their bodies melted into light, fusing together with a powerful burst of energy.

“Here she comes…!” Steven shouted, shielding his eyes.

An hourglass figure formed from the light. Four powerful arms emerged from her torso, a pair of muscular legs stomping into the sand as she formed. She had violet skin, which melted into a forest green halfway down her forearms. Covering that skin was a loose, dark gray top, with torn sleeves and a giant yellow star on the back, a pair of dark purple shorts that cut off halfway down her thigh, and a pair of black, studded boots. A mop of snow white hair sat on top of her head, pulled into a giant braid, ending in a triangular point at the small of her back. As a fusion, she sported two gems, Peridot’s on her forehead, and Amethyst’s just above her chest.

“Mwa ha ha ha ha! I’m back baby!” the fusion bellowed.

“What’s wrong with her voice?” Steven whispered to Garnet, “It sounds like Amethyst and Peridot are trying to talk at the same time.”

“She’s probably a little unstable,” Garnet replied, “she should smooth out with a little more practice. Why don’t we try to talk to her?”

Pearl and Garnet made their way towards the fusion, Steven a few strides ahead of them. Once the fusion caught a glimpse of Steven, a wicked grin stretched across her face, showing of her unusually sharp canines. 

“Steven! Check me out!” she called, using her many arms to strike various poses, “Do I look good or what?”

“You’re certainly….something.” Steven laughed nervously.

Garnet walked up to the fusion and and placed a hand on her shoulder. She stood taller than the new fusion in front of her, but only by a scant couple of inches. Garnet looked down at her with a warm smile.

“Tell us, what is your name?”

“My...name…?”

Even though one was never given for her, the fusion somehow knew the answer. From deep within her she could feel it, and she said it with confidence.

“Ammolite. Purple Ammolite.”

“Alright then, Ammolite. Tell me, are you ready for a little training?”

“Hell yeah I am!” Ammolite cheered, “Let’s get started!”

“Alright,” Garnet said, taking a few steps back, “walk a straight line.”

“I thought you said we were training.”

“We are training. You’re powerful enough to destroy Beach City, but you need to be coordinated in order to control it. Now, walk.”

Ammolite looked over into the empty stretch of beach in front of her. Slowly, she placed one foot in front of the other, shakily moving forward. She only made it a few uneven steps before falling flat on her face. She forced herself back up, baring her fangs angrily.

“Are you telling me I can’t even walk right?!”

“Just try again.” Garnet said calmly.

Ammolite did try again. And again. And again. For several minutes it was the same thing over and over. A few steps, a fall, frustration, repeat. Ammolite took to watching the ground as she walked, hoping that she would be able to see her mistake. While this did improve her efforts slightly, it still wasn’t enough to let her avoid tripping over herself. She stayed, face-down in the sand and began yelling. She wasn’t yelling at Garnet, she was yelling at herself.

“For god's sake Amethyst!” she shouted to her left, “How do you walk with these infernal things?!”

Her head violently shook before facing right, “Well maybe if you stopped inspecting your own gems for like, ten seconds, we’d be able to see where we’re going!”

Ammolite’s head shot to the left again, “They’re like the size of my face! How am I supposed to-”

“Enough!” Garnet yelled.

Ammolite looked up at Garnet, frightened by her voice.

“You need to stop this. You aren’t two people anymore. Peridot and Amethyst are not here, you are Ammolite now. You need to work with yourself.”

“...Right” Ammolite grumbled, annoyed with herself.

With a deep breath she rose up, and took a few careful steps forward. She began to speed up, and before she knew it she was sprinting up and down the beach, laughing all the while. She ran back up to Garnet, narrowly avoiding a head on collision. She tried her best to keep still, excitement causing her whole body to shake.

“Very good,” Garnet said, “Next we’ll-”

“I know what comes next!” Ammolite interrupted, conjuring a whip, “It’s fused weapon time!”

“I hate to burst your bubble, but you need two weapons to create a new one.”

“Oh. Right.” Ammolite blinked, “Peridot doesn’t have a weapon. Well...maybe I can do something else!”

Ammolite looked down at her four large hands. She knew that there was power inside of her, but she couldn’t make it come forth. She wanted to be strong, to be able prove that she was more than just Amethyst and Peridot’s fusion. She tightened her hands into fists, angry tears streaming down her face.

“Ammolite, are you okay? Why are you crying?” Steven asked.

“I can’t help it!” she shouted, throwing a fist to the sky “I’m just so frustrated. I feel like I can’t do anything!”

Steven didn’t respond. He was looking up at Ammolite’s outstretched hand, seemingly hypnotized by it. Ammolite brought it back down to eye level, and noticed what had caught Steven’s attention. Her fist was covered in a bright green energy, the tighter she held her fist, the more of this odd energy poured from it. Without thinking, Ammolite threw a punch at the pen air in front of her. The energy flew from her hand and solidified into a green chunk of metal, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

“Woah!” Steven exclaimed, his eyes shining like stars, “Did you just make metal out of thin air!?”

“Apparently.” Ammolite responded as the metal faded away.

Ammolite looked down at the whip in her hand with a smirk. Concentrating as hard as she could, she was able to make the energy form as she held her weapon. With a flick of her wrist, the whip straightened completely, covering itself in green energy. The energy shaped itself around the whip and solidified, allowing Ammolite to create a makeshift sword.

“Now this is more like it!” she boasted as she admired her own handiwork.

“Very good,” Garnet said, “but you two should probably unfuse now, it would be wise to take a break.”

“No way,” Ammolite said as she readied her weapon, “I havn’t had any hands-on training yet.”

“Alright fine, but you need to unfuse soon.” Garnet chuckled.

Ammolite ran at Garnet, her sword ready. She swung towards her, narrowly missing as Garnet ducked out of the way. She attempted to slash at her again, but it was futile. Garnet deftly avoided all of Ammolite’s attacks, much to her chagrin. With a loud cry, Ammolite swung the sword over her head at Garnet, only to have her blade caught and snapped in an instant.

“Why….can’t I…..hit you?!” Ammolite growled.

“Don’t feel too bad. I’ve been a fusion much longer than you have, you can’t expect to be as strong right off the bat.”

“Are you calling me weak?” Ammolite glared.

“Not weak, just inexperienced.”

“That’s the same thing!” Ammolite shouted, attacking Garnet with a pair of whips.

Garnet summoned her gauntlets and caught both of Ammolite’s weapons without moving. With one hard yank, she pulled Ammolite to her. She looked down at the other fusion, whips still in hand.

“This has gone on long enough. Unfuse, right now.”

Ammolite stared Garnet down, her eyes flickering back and forth to Garnet’s hands. An evil grin stretched across her face as she met Garnet’s gaze.

“Gauntlets eh? Mind if I give them a try?”

Ammolite coated her lower set of hands with metal, before delivering a vicious double uppercut to Garnet’s face. Garnet was sent flying, before finally landing in the sand with a painful sounding impact. The metal faded from Ammolite’s body when she noticed the spear in front of her face.

“Ammolite, you’re becoming unstable. You need to unfuse right now!” Pearl commanded.

“Unstable? Yeah right. You just don’t want to admit that I’m stronger than the both of you!”

Garnet sprang back into action, standing firmly by Pearl’s side. “It’s true Ammolite. You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep this up.”

“You guys wanted Amethyst and Peridot to be stronger, and now thanks to me, they are. You want to take that away from them?!”

Ammolite raised an open palm, a large bundle of purple and green energy sparking inside of it. The energy grew and separated, forming a bubbling mass of molten metal, surrounded by purple flame. 

“I. Am not. Weak!”

Ammolite pitched the fireball at the pair. It exploded on contact, sending scorched sand flying in all directions. When the smoke cleared, Garnet and Pearl were lying in a singed heap. Ammolite slowly made her way towards the two of them, but was blocked by Steven.

“Ammolite! Please stop!”

“Steven? Get out of my way!”

“No! I won’t let you hurt them!” he shouted with outstretched arms.

“You don’t understand! I need to prove that I’m strong!”

“Who do you need to prove that to!? Amethyst and Peridot were already strong before they fused, of course you’re strong!”

Ammolite looked at Steven for a long moment, occasionally turning her attention momentarily to Garnet and Pearl. Finally she couldn’t take it anymore. She turned her attention to the ground she stood on as tears fell from her face.

“I went too far…..didn’t I?” she asked, her voice breaking.

“Maybe a little..,” Steven said as he glanced towards Garnet and Pearl, “but it’s okay. You didn’t mean to. We forgive you.”

“You...you do?”

“Of course we do.” Steven said with a reassuring smile.

“B-b-but….what about Amethyst? And Peridot? Would...they forgive me?”

“Of course they would,” Steven laughed, “they love you.”

“Love…? That sounds….nice. It makes me feel...ha-”

Ammolite was cut off by an ear piercing shriek. A giant, birdlike monster burst from the ocean, it’s pristine white horn glimmering in the sunlight.

“Oh great, this guy again!” Ammolite grunted.

The bird immediately set it sights on Ammolite. It dove for her, aiming its horn at her. Quikly, Ammolite shoved Steven out of the way and jumped to the other side. The bird skid across the sand, immediately jumping to its talons. The bird turned its attention to Steven, attempting to attack him with its wings. Steven formed a large bubble around himself, Garnet, and Pearl, who were still too injured to fight back. Ammolite simply watched in horror.

“I need to do something! Anything!”

Ammolite summoned four whips, one for each hand, and swung them at the creature's back. The monster let out a loud shriek as it took to the skies again. It whipped around to face Ammolite, flapping its wings as hard as it could. The resulting gusts of wind sent Ammolite soaring backwards. She tried to keep her balance, but the monster sent her tumbling into the sand. The bird soared at the fusion horn first. Ammolite was still flat on her back, and scrambled quickly to avoid being skewered. The monster barely missed her, giving Ammolite the perfect opportunity. Grabbing the monster’s horn with all four hands, Ammolite brutally snapped it in half. The monster howled in pain, opening its beak to release its cloudy mist.

“I don’t think so!” Ammolite shouted, conjuring two whips for her upper set of arms.

Swinging her weapons at the avionic abomination, she was able to wrap one whip around its beak, and the other around its body, pinning its wings to its sides. She forcefully pulled the monster to the ground and slowly dragged it towards herself, the monster desperately struggling to escape. With her second set of hands, Ammolite prepared two flaming globs of molten metal.

“Hey feather face! I have a message for you!”

Ammolite pulled the monster towards her as hard as she could, sending it flying towards her. The creature’s horrified shrieks filled the air as the distance between the two of them quickly shrunk.

“Love hurts.”

Ammolite slammed the projectiles into the monster’s face, causing a giant explosion in the process. All Ammolite could see was a smokey, flaming chaos for what seemed like hours afterwards. Finally, the smoke cleared, The first thing she saw was Steven, happily holding the monster’s bubbled gem.

“Look Ammolite! You did it!”

“I...did? I did it! I really did it! Mwa ha ha ha ha ha! I did it!”

Ammolite’s body melted into light, Amethyst and Peridot taking her place. 

“Amethyst! Can you believe it?! We did it! We were amazing!” Peridot cheered.

“We were pretty rad.” Amethyst laughed, enjoying the sight of her favorite gem in the throes of her victory.

“Garnet and Pearl couldn’t even touch us! Then we beat that annoying clod that almost shattered me! I was right, we were unstoppable!”

“Should we tell them you were going easy on them Garnet?” Pearl murmured.

“Nah. Even if I did, that wouldn’t deny the fact they poofed that monster. They deserve their moment.”


	12. Touchy-Feely Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of the most important things to do in a relationship is finding an appropriate balance between emotional contact and physical contact. So next time you're considering giving your partner a firm slap on the rear, maybe just say you love them instead. Or just do whatever what do I know.

The barn door slowly opened, its loud creaks downed out by Peridot’s excited babbling. Her eyes were shining like the stars appearing outside, and every word she said shook with enthusiasm. She made her way into the barn and leaped into her hay pile, Amethyst following behind her.

“So I was thinking, next time we fuse, we should try to experiment some more with our new powers. Who knows we could accomplish!”

“Peridot, look. I’m glad you liked fusing and all, but you’ve been going on about it all afternoon.” Amethyst replied, exasperated.

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t help myself! Ammolite was just so amazing! She was big, strong, clever, practically untouchable, not to mention she had the second most impressive physical construct I’ve ever seen!” Peridot exclaimed, punctuating her sentence with a small growl.

“I’m guessing if I translated all that nerd talk into english, you’d be saying you thought Ammolite was hot.” Amethyst said as she laid down in the hay next to Peridot.

“Maybe just a bit.”

“Well I gotta say, she definitely...wait. If she was number two, who’s number one?”

“Well, duh. You are, of course.” Peridot replied, looking at Amethyst as if she just asked what her own name was.

Amethyst simply laid there, blushing in response. She wasn’t sure how to respond to Peridot’s apparent captivation with her. Amethyst was afraid that her silence was making the situation awkward, but Peridot hardly seemed to notice as she gazed up at the ceiling.

“It’s almost funny,” Peridot began, “back on Homeworld, if I even thought about saying something like that to someone like you, I’d probably get myself shattered.”

“You weren’t allowed to compliment each other?”

“We were but,” Peridot sighed, “a Peridot talking that way to a Quartz soldier? Let alone fusing with one? The diamonds would’ve shattered us personally.”

“How could you stand living there?” Amethyst asked as she angrily gripped a handful of hay, “Those Homeworld jerks think they can get away with pushing gems around!”

“It’s not like that. At least...it wasn’t always.”

“What do you mean?”

“Back when I was on their side, the things they did made sense. When I got to Earth, everything seemed backwards. But then after being here for this long, and talking to you and the others, it isn’t hard to see that Homeworld is bad news. The more I think about it, the more it makes me feel like my life leading up to my betrayal was almost...pointless.”

“Aw come on P-dot, don’t talk like that. It couldn’t have been completely pointless. You even said yourself that you were like, the smartest Peridot there was.”

“I said I had above average intelligence. Despite that fact, my life was still dedicated to nothing but Homeworld and its cause. But now, I’m not just _a_ Peridot anymore, I’m _the_ Peridot. The freedom to be your own person is liberating, but also a bit overwhelming.”

“I hear ya. Before Rose found me, all I did was goof off in the kindergarten all day. I didn’t have friends or family, I didn’t even know what my name was. I guess that’s what I get for staying in the ground too long.”

A tense silence filled the room. Peridot knew all too well how Amethyst felt about her origin, but she had no idea how to make her feel better. Her mind raced, desperately trying to think of a response that wouldn’t make Amethyst even sadder. Peridot had barely any idea how long it took for Rose Quartz to find Amethyst, or for that matter, who exactly she was, besides Steven’s mom. She knew Rose was important, but she still didn’t dare to ask about her. Before she could think of something appropriate to ask, Amethyst chimed in with her own question.

“Do you miss Homeworld?”

“I do admit to missing certain things, however, I’ve accepted that even if I could to return to Homeworld, there wouldn’t be anything there for me anymore.”

“What do you miss?”

“Well,” Peridot said, looking down at her hand, “I do still somewhat miss my limb enhancers.”

“Oh...yeah sorry about that. If I knew you were gonna join up with us, I would’ve kept them.”

“It’s not all bad,” Peridot said, trying to keep Amethyst’s spirits high, “I may have lost the information stored on the data logs, but I can gather unique data without them.”

“What are you talking about?” Amethyst chuckled.

Peridot held a hand up to Amethyst’s face, “Well, using my physical construct to make direct contact with whatever it is I’m observing allows for more detailed information than simple observation. Its temperature, its weight, its density, I wouldn’t have been able to feel any of it through my limb enhancers.”

“So what you’re saying is, you like touching stuff.”

“That’s the simple way of putting it, yes.”

“You’re such a nerd.” Amethyst said with a warm laugh.

Amethyst reached out and took Peridot’s hand into her own. Peridot couldn’t help but marvel at it. Its weight in her hand, the warmth that it created, the light grip it help on her, all these sensations created by one small action. Peridot lightly stroked the back of Amethyst’s hand with her thumb, enjoying the way their respective skin tones complimented one another. Peridot’s gazing was interrupted by a bright flash of light. Peridot hurriedly looked back up towards Amethyst in a panic. Peridot was relieved to find that there was no danger, the light simply came from Amethyst changing from her normal outfit into her pj’s. A loose fitting black camisole and fuzzy purple bottoms, to be precise. 

“I’m gonna head back to my room and get some shut-eye. You want in?” Amethyst asked.

“You want me to...sleep again? I don’t know...after last time...”

“Aw come on Peri, pleeeease?” Amethyst pleaded with the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster, “It won’t be that bad this time. I’ll even stay up with you until you fall asleep.”

“Well...alright I suppose. I’m not going to sleep, but conversing with you in your bed would be more comfortable than doing so in this hay pile.”

Peridot focused energy into her gem, causing light to envelop her body. After a brief moment, the light faded away, Peridot’s standard leotard exchanged for an oversized white t-shirt, with a cartoony alien face on the front. The two rose from their hay pile and walked back to the temple, hand in hand.

**************************************************************************************

Darkness had already fallen by the time the two gems made it to Amethyst’s room. Amethyst pulled Peridot along by her hand, the ground cold on their bare feet. The two made their way deep into Amethyst’s room, where the large, unmade bed was waiting. The pair quickly climbed in and threw the thick blanket over themselves. Peridot wrapped her arms around Amethyst’s waist, resting her head in her shoulder.

“This is nice.” Amethyst yawned.

“Agreed. So, what do you want to talk about?” The wakeful Peridot asked.

“Er...well I,” Amethyst stammered with an uneasy glance, “nevermind.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, I was sorta wondering if I could ask you more about Homeworld. Pearl and Garnet don’t like to talk about it much, and Rose liked to pretend it never existed.”

“I suppose it’s only natural to be curious. What do you want to know?”

“Well...back on Homeworld, did you know any other Peridots?”

“Oh sure. For large-scale projects, the higher-ups would have five or six of us working all at once for maximum efficiency.”

“So they were like, your friends?”

“Negative. Excessive fraternizing resulted in swift punishment. We simply kept to ourselves and got our work done.”

“So you guys just worked all day until you were done?”

“And all night. No one sleeps on Homeworld, remember?”

“Really?”

“Well, the warrior gems may have, but I would not have been allowed anywhere near them during that time.”

“I’m guessing that means you weren’t allowed to snuggle them either.” Amethyst said, sitting up on her side and pulling Peridot close.

“I’m not sure there was a specific rule against it, but I can’t say I’ve tried. The idea does not seem pleasant.”

“Why not?”

“You have to remember that most of the warrior gems were hulking brutes, like Jasper. I never got as close to them as I have with you, but you just seem a lot...softer than any of them could be.” Peridot answered with a loving squeeze.

Peridot tightened her grip on Amethyst, wrapping her limbs around her companion's body. With a happy sigh, she took in Amethyst’s warmth. She gently ran her hands over Amethyst’s back, noting the curvature of her spine and her strong, rugged muscles. Peridot’s weren’t meant to get this close to warrior gems, emotionally or physically. It was a notion that Peridot fought hard to shake off. For so long, everyone around her told her that this kind of thing was wrong. But the way she felt around Amethyst was just so right that it gave Peridot butterflies. When she was like this, she could feel everything Amethyst did, consciously or otherwise. The way she shifted in her sleep, the strong grip she held Peridot in, every gentle breath she took as she began to doze off. Wait a second, began to doze off?!

“Hey!” Peridot grunted, “You said you’d stay awake with me.”

“I know I know,” Amethyst said sleepily, “I’m just resting my eyes for a minute.”

Amethyst was out cold almost immediately. Peridot took a long look at her face. Her hair was messily strewn all over her pillow, her thick lips slightly parted as she snored the night away. Peridot hated to admit that Amethyst was almost too cute for her to ever really be mad at her. Almost. Peridot briefly considered trying to shake her awake, but figured the effort would be wasted. Releasing Amethyst from her grip, Peridot shuffled back slightly, taking a long look over Amethyst’s sleeping form. Peridot ran a hand along Amethyst’s side, the soft material of her sleepwear tickling her hand. She watched her hand flow down Amethyst’s curves, stopping partway down her thigh before running her hand back in the other direction. It was only once Peridot’s hand made its way close to Amethyst’s neck that she noticed she was perfectly eye level with Amethyst’s chest. Normally being in such a position would be no problem for Peridot, but Amethyst’s camisole was practically making a show out of them. Peridot’s eyes darted back and forth between her own hand and her sleeping girlfriend’s chest as a devious thought formed in her mind.

(“ _I could reach out and touch them. She would have no idea. But that’s...wrong. Isn’t it? She let’s me put my face there when I sleep so...she probably wouldn’t mind right? Besides, she said she wasn’t going to sleep without me, so this would make us even._ ”)

Satisfied by her own flimsy reasoning, Peridot slowly placed her hands on Amethyst’s chest. She held completely still for several seconds, fearing that too sudden of a movement would awaken Amethyst. She gave Amethyst’s breasts a gentle squeeze, her fingers sinking into their soft skin. She moved her hands all over Amethyst’s chest, exploring every inch her hands could get to. She moved her hands underneath them, lifting them up slightly and letting them drop, marveling at their weight. Peridot placed her hands on both sides of Amethyst’s chest and pushed, watching the exposed skin nearly pop from her top. She probably would have ended up playing with them all night if a sudden voice didn’t nearly give her a heart attack.

“Having fun?”

Peridot ceased all movement, her hands still placed firmly on Amethyst’s chest. She slowly looked up at Amethyst, wide-eyed. Amethyst was looking back down at her with a knowing smirk. A shameful blush assaulted Peridot’s face as she desperately searched her brain for some sort of response.

“I was...doing this for...uh...scientific purposes.” 

“Really?” Amethyst replied, catching her sad attempt at a lie, “What was your hypothesis, ‘ _How long can I play with Amethyst’s boobs before she wakes up?_ ’”

Peridot averted Amethyst’s gaze, her face growing uncomfortably hot. She pulled her hands to her sides, too ashamed to put them anywhere near Amethyst. Noticing this, Amethyst pulled Peridot back towards her in a ferocious hug.

“You know, if you wanted to touch them that bad, you could’ve just asked.”

“You’re not...mad?” Peridot asked, still not wanting to meet Amethyst’s eyes.

“I mean I’m not thrilled, but it isn’t worth getting mad about. When Rose and Greg got together, they were all over each other. She said it was just a part of being in a relationship. Just...let be awake next time, alright?”

“Of course.” Peridot replied as she looked back up at Amethyst, “Can I ask you something?”

“Go for it.”

“What was Rose Quartz like?”

Amethyst was silent for a moment before asking, “They didn’t tell you about her on Homeworld?”

“Well they did, but I’m beginning to suspect that information regarding her is inaccurate. Most of the gems on Homeworld think she’s still alive, with a massive army at her command. I’m not even sure if the reports of her having a hand in Pink Diamond’s death are true.”

“Rose was the best,” Amethyst said with a nostalgic smile, “she was like our leader, but she was always more than that.”

“So she was like, your Diamond?”

“Sorta. She was the leader of the rebellion, and she was one heck of a fighter. But she cared about us. She loved Earth and everyone on it. She was like my mom, or my big sister. She was always there for me, for serious stuff, or just to goof off. She knew I was defective, but she always insisted I was perfect the way I was. Part of me always sorta thought she was only saying that to make me feel better, but I know she wouldn’t lie to me. I really wish you could’ve met her.”

“Do you think she would have...approved of me?”

“Approved of you? Are you kidding? She would have loved you. And if she found out we were together? She’d probably have us married by now.”

“Married? I don’t know what that is, but I’m assuming it’s good.”

“Depends on who you ask.” Amethyst snickered, before bursting into a fit of laughter.

Amethyst’s joyful laugh filled the entire room. Even if she was gone, Amethyst could almost feel Rose’s presence at that very moment. Peridot simply looked on, watching the delighted smile on her face grow bigger and bigger. The entire display warmed Peridot’s very being. Amethyst was so caught up in her reminiscing and laughing, that she didn’t notice Peridot wrapping her arms around her neck. Once her laughter began to subside, Peridot suddenly pulled her into an unexpected kiss. Amethyst let out a small noise in surprise, before allowing herself to get lost in the moment. The two kissed for a long, tender moment, the soft warmth of their lips giving them all the motivation they needed to make it last. Finally, they parted.

“W-wow Peridot.” Amethyst blushed.

“W-what? Did I do something wrong?”

“No I just...didn’t expect you to be so good at it that’s all.”

“I’m good at everything,” Peridot said smugly, “and I’d be happy to provide you with more proof, if you so desire.”

Peridot was able to finally get a restful sleep that night. After her and Amethyst were done covering each other in kisses, of course.


	13. Embrace The Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You thought the box being empty at the end of chapter 9 was just a gag didn't you? Well...you were half right, I sorta changed my mind and decided to do something with it. So...plot twist?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap, 2000 hits! (well more like 2100, but the benchmark still stands.) I'm not gonna bore you guys with another paragraph long thank you message, and I promise if this somehow gets to 3000+ I'll keep my sentiments brief, but I would be remissed if i didn't thank everyone for reading/leaving kudos/commenting. All the love and support this story has gotten is mind boggling, and I wish I could properly thank all of you. But enough about that, here's some fluffy action for you all! Enjoy.

“There you two are!” Pearl exclaimed as Amethyst and Peridot exited the temple, “Sit down, we’re having a meeting.”

The two gems made their way into the living room. Garnet and Steven were sitting on the couch with Pearl standing before them. Pearl seemed even more on-edge than usual, if that was even possible. Amethyst and Peridot quickly climbed up onto the couch as Pearl addressed everyone.

“Now that everyone’s here, we can begin. I’m sure you all remember some time ago, we went on a mission to retrieve a treasure from the abandoned castle.”

“You mean that empty box Ammolite smashed up?” Steven interrupted.

“No Steven, the box was meant to hold the treasure.”

“But it was empty.” Amethyst pointed out.

“I’m aware it was empty Amethyst,” Pearl grumbled, “my point is, Garnet and I have been looking around the remains of the castle, and in the process have come across a great discovery!”

“Great as in it’s really good, or great as in it’s going to be really huge and hard to handle?” Steven asked.

“Most likely...the later unfortunately. Originally I thought that the castle was the resting place of one artifact, but as it turns out there was more. Garnet and I found evidence suggesting there to be at least three, but we can’t be totally sure.”

“Are we going on a treasure hunt!?” Steven asked excitedly

“Sort of. I believe I have isolated the location of one of the missing artifacts. All we need to do is return to the site of the ruined castle.”

“What exactly are we looking for?” Peridot inquired.

“This.”

A holographic projection emerged from Pearl’s gem. The image presented to the other gems was a black tridecagon. Each of its faces bore an odd rune, none of which seemed connected to any sort of language. The image slowly spun as Pearl began to explain what exactly was so important about it.

“It’s called the shadow stone. It was used hundreds of years ago by the ruler of that castle. The shadow stone creates powerful, violent clones of those that get caught in its terrible energy. We need to find it and either contain it, or destroy it before it falls into the wrong hands.”

“Now that everyone’s caught up,” Garnet said as she stood, “let’s move out!”

One quick trip on the warp pad later, and the group once again found themselves in the decayed field. Their feet crunched in the brown grass as they made their way back towards the castle. At least, that’s what they expected to see. The debris of the castle was moved far from its original spot, neatly piled. Loose dirt and rocks was all that remained in the spot where the castle once stood. 

“Garnet and I already cleaned the place up. According the the information we gathered, the shadow stone should be buried here. Let’s get digging.”

The crystal gems spread out over the surface of the exposed soil. Pearl had forgotten to mention that they had no shovels to use. As a result, the gems had to dig through the dirt with their hands. They did so for hours, finding nothing but more dirt and the occasional rock for their efforts. Tenaciously, they continued their search. Amethyst inched her way towards Peridot, pretending to dig as she moved.

“How ya holding up?” she asked once she finally made it to her.

“Fine. Although I’m starting to doubt this stupid thing is even here.”

“Same here. Pearl’s probably gonna make us search all day.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t object to me coming along. There isn’t exactly a lot of metal around here.”

“She probably figured we’d need extra help digging. But that’s okay, it’s nice having you along with us.” Amethyst said, giving Peridot a quick peck on the cheek.

Their relationship was never a secret, but this was the first time Amethyst had ever done a romantic gesture in front of the others. The things this proved to Peridot were twofold. Firstly, Amethyst was just as unashamed of their relationship as she was, (not that Peridot would think for a second that anyone would be ashamed to be seen with her.) and secondly, that Homeworld was even more wrong than Peridot believed. A Quartz soldier and a Peridot, together. On Homeworld such a thing would be a fairytale, not to mention a breach of the natural order. But on Earth, it was right, it was meant to be. All the thoughts stirring in Peridot’s head almost made her miss the inky black rock she had uncovered. Peridot held it up to light to inspect it. It was definitely the right shape and color to be the artifact Pearl had described, but it still didn’t look quite right. Besides the fact that it was only about the size of a peach, it did not have any of the runes on it that Pearl’s projection displayed. Upon closer examination, the stone also had several deep cracks all over it.

“Do you think this is it?” Peridot asked.

“Looks right to me,” Amethyst said before cupping her hands around her mouth, “guys look! Peridot found it!”

Pearl whipped her head around quickly, “Put it down now!”

Before Peridot could ask why, a dark energy burst forth from the shadow stone. The energy flew through Peridot and Amethyst’s bodies, whipping wildly through the air before settling on the ground. Two shadowy blobs formed on the ground, shaking violently. Peridot dropped the stone in shock, causing it to roll over towards the blobs. Reacting to its presence, the blobs began to take shape. The forms they had taken looked almost exactly like Amethyst and Peridot, although anyone with a working pair of eyes would be able to tell them apart. The clones radiated a dark purple aura that flowed from their bodies like smoke from a fire. Their eyes were pupil less, glowing an eerie white. Lastly, their bodies were covered in intricate black runes. The shadowy Peridot picked up the shadow stone and looked it over.

“Hmm. It appears to be damaged. That would explain why it could only create us from such a short distance.”

“Do you think you can fix it?” Shadow-Amethyst asked.

“Probably. But first, we have some business to attend to.”

“We need to help them!” Steven exclaimed as he readied his shield.

“Stay back!” Pearl commanded, “If you get to close, it will make copies of you as well! It can only create a single copy of a specific person at a time, so we need to let Amethyst and Peridot sort this one out for now.”

“Well isn’t this cute?” Shadow-Peridot chuckled, “Two defective clods, staring down their own horrid abnormalities.”

“Like you’re one to talk, you two look like crappy Halloween knock-offs.” Amethyst rebutted.

“Looks are nothing more than a formality. We have everything you do, all your memories, your fears, your insecurities, we know it all!”

“A-All of our memories?” Peridot asked nervously.

“What’s wrong Peridot?” Shadow-Amethyst laughed, “Are you afraid we’re gonna blab to the rest of the team that you’re a pervert?”

“I am not!”

“I don’t know,” Shadow-Peridot said, striking a mocking pose as if she were deep in thought, “I’ve only existed for about five or so minutes, but even I know that people who go touching girls while they’re asleep are pervs.”

“Shut your stupid mouths!” Peridot shouted before snapping her attention back to the cackling Amethyst behind her, “And that goes double for you!”

“Aw lighten up Peri,” Amethyst chuckled, “They’re kinda funny.”

“Funny?! They’re slandering me!”

“To be fair, I did catch you red-handed last night.”

“That’s not the point!” Peridot yelled, her blush as furious as her tone.

Peridot’s complaints were cut short by the feeling of something wrapping around her leg. Shadow-Amethyst had gotten a hold of Peridot with a whip, and yanked her towards where she and Shadow-Peridot were standing. Shadow-Amethyst gave Peridot a lecherous grin once she was next to her.

“No need to deny your urges Peri. If you’d like, I could help you with them.”

“What are you talking about?” Peridot asked, legitimately confused.

“You know what I’m talking about cutie. You and I could have a lot of fun together,” Shadow-Amethyst insisted as she ran her hands over Peridot’s body, “how about we start with a kiss?”

Shadow-Amethyst leaned in close to Peridot in an attempt to plant a kiss on her lips. Her action fell short however, due to the sudden presence of a whip coiled around her windpipe. Amethyst had the other end of the whip in a death grip, her face twisted into an expression of unadulterated rage.

“Get. Your dirty hands. Off of my Peridot!”

Amethyst swung the whip as hard as she could, sending her copy flying through the air behind her. Shadow-Amethyst hit the ground head first, kicking up a cloud of sand as she did so. Amethyst advanced upon her, shouting all sorts of family-unfriendly language in her general direction. The Peridots watched the display in a mutual awe.

“Her...Peridot…” Peridot whispered.

“Don’t get too distracted you clod!” Shadow-Peridot shouted, clocking Peridot in the back of the head.

“I’m going to shatter you for that!” Peridot scowled.

“You really think a defect like you can stand up to the likes of me?” Shadow-Peridot laughed, “You don’t even have your limb enhancers anymore!”

“You don’t have any either you clod!”

“That’s the difference between you and I,” Shadow-Peridot chuckled evilly, “I don’t need them.”

The dark aura around Shadow-Peridot began to take shape, forming two tremendous tendrils. The copy attacked Peridot with its newly formed limbs, viciously striking her with enough force to send her to the ground. What was once a thin layer of gas had formed into a set of solid, black masses as thick as a small tree. One of the tendrils wrapped itself around Peridot’s waist, lifting her up into the air.

“What’s wrong? Finally realizing how worthless you are?” Shadow-Peridot taunted.

“I’m not….worthless.” Peridot coughed.

“Look at yourself. These clods used to fear you. They were convinced that you were coming to Earth to destroy it. They thought you were going to be the one to finally do them in. And now? Now you’re their dorky little friend, who can barely hurt a fly. You’re pathetic.”

“You’re wrong!” Peridot shouted as she struggled to get free, “They don’t care that I’m not as strong as they are, they’re my friends!”

“”I’ve had enough of this. Goodbye, you cl-”

The clone’s threat was cut off by a sudden force. To be more specific, the force of Shadow-Amethyst being chucked at her like a dodge ball. The two copies were sent tumbling backwards, forcing Shadow-Peridot to lose her grip on Peridot. Amethyst ran to Peridot’s side.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice a mix of worry and anger.

“I’m fine. We need to do something about these two.”

“I already know what I’m going to do. I’m going to beat the two of them into the dirt, starting with that purple floozy!” Amethyst roared.

“Amethyst, you’re beginning to frighten me.” Peridot shivered.

“Aw you hear that?” Shadow-Amethyst scoffed, “Poor Peridot’s afraid of her own little girlfriend!”

“Maybe that’s why she only has the guts to touch her while she’s asleep.” Shadow-Peridot laughed.

“Will you two shut the hell up?! I can touch Amethyst whenever I want!” Peridot shouted, not thinking of the unfortunate implications of such a statement, “Just watch!”

Peridot grabbed Amethyst and pulled her into a kiss. Typically stopping in the middle of a fight for a kiss would be a suicidally poor decision, but a number a factors fell into the two’s favor at that moment. Besides the fact that their doppelgangers were too disturbed by the gesture to act upon it, Amethyst and Peridot didn’t stay in that position for long. Well, their bodies didn’t, at any rate. After a moment-long kiss, the two gems melted into light, their physical forms piling into one another, before finally bursting in a violent explosion of energy. It soon faded, leaving Purple Ammolite in their place. The fusion looked down at herself, then back up to the equally confused clones.

“I...meant to do that!” Ammolite bellowed.

The clones gazed upon the fusion in front of them. They were trembling, but whether it was from disgust or fear was hard to pinpoint. Ammolite started the two of them down, baring her sharp fangs. The two clones shared a glance before daring to confront the new threat they were being faced with.

“I see how it is. You defective weirdos can’t handle us on your own, so you fused into one giant monstrosity!” Shadow-Peridot yelled.

“Seriously, do you two have to be so gross?” Shadow-Amethyst spat, “I mean really, first we have to watch you two make out, and now you’re...that?!”

“Two defective gems, fusing into one undeniably flawed being. It’s shameful, disgusting really.” Shadow-Peridot gaged.

Ammolite opened her mouth to reply, but was cut short by the ground around her suddenly shaking. Garnet had quite literally leaped to her side, smashing into the ground gauntlet first. Ammolite could hear Pearl wailing in the distance.

“Garnet get away from there! They might make a clone of you as well!”

“Ammolite,” Garnet said , ignoring Pearl’s plea, “how about we show them what a couple of ‘disgusting’ fusions can do?”

“Wonderful idea!” Ammolite grinned, “You take pointy over there, while I take care of little miss touchy.”

“W-w-w-what are we gonna do?! If they break the shadow stone, we’ll die!” Shadow-Peridot shrieked.

Shadow-Amethyst swiped the stone from her partner and popped it in her mouth, swallowing it whole. Shadow-Peridot gave her a confused look, unable to think of a proper reaction to watching the one thing keeping them alive being eaten.

“They’re gonna have to tear me open for it.” Shadow-Amethyst scowled, readying two whips.

The fusions pounced at their targets, weapons at the ready. Shadow-Peridot attempted to keep Garnet at bay with her murky appendages, but her efforts were met with an assault of vicious punches. Shadow-Peridot swung her tendrils over Garnet’s head, managing to knock her off her feet. Garnet rolled on the ground before charging the clone again, striking her hard in the stomach. Shadow-Peridot doubled over in pain on the ground, but continued to swing her tendrils towards Garnet, futilely attempting to create distance between the two of them. Garnet snatched the both of them in midair, and tore them from Shadow-Peridot’s body with a wet-sounding rip. Shadow-Peridot screaming in agony as her body seized up, the pain leaving her to numb to move.

Meanwhile, the battle between Ammolite and Shadow-Amethyst raged on. The two repeatedly struck one another with their whips, their attacks growing more and more brutal with each swing. Shadow-Amethyst curled herself into a ball and spun towards Ammolite, knocking the fusion high into the air. With a quick swing of her whip, Shadow-Amethyst sent Ammolite crashing back down to Earth. Once her target was on the ground again, the clone curled herself into a ball once more, barreling towards Ammolite as fast as she could. Thinking on her feet, Ammolite readied a whip of her own, and began filling it with green energy. A think layer of pale green metal coated the whip, growing thicker and thicker along its length. In short order, Ammolite had fashioned herself a large club. She gripped it with her upper set of arms as tightly as she could, and swung it at Shadow-Amethyst as she spun into her. The clone was sent hurdling into the pile of castle debris Pearl had swept up, causing the entire thing to topple over. Shadow-Amethyst layed there, wincing in pain as Ammolite made her way towards her. Ammolite picked her up by her hair with one hand, a growing ball of flaming, molten metal in another.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! If you let me go I promise I won’t bother any of you ever again!” Shadow-Amethyst pleaded.

Ammolite gave her adversary a wicked grin, “Damn right you won’t.”

Ammolite slammed the fireball directly into Shadow-Amethyst’s body, causing an explosion of fire and shadowy energy. The instant she did that, Shadow-Peridot dissipated as well. Looking down at her hand, Ammolite found out why. She had reduced the already broken shadow stone to a pile of ash, which she threw into the breeze. Steven and Pearl ran to her.

“You two were amazing!” Steven exclaimed with stars in his eyes.

“Yes that was very impressive. You even managed to destroy the shadow stone was well. Good job.” said Pearl.

“It was nice to fight with you, instead of against you.” Garnet said with a hand on Ammolite’s shoulder.

“Mwa ha ha ha ha ha! All in a day’s work!” Ammolite boasted, “Now, if you’ll all excuse me…”

Ammolite’s body dissipated, re-forming into Amethyst and Peridot. The two stood there, hand-in-hand with exhausted expressions.

“Come on everyone, it’s time to go home.” Pearl said, leading the way to the warp pad.

Pearl began to tell the others how her and Garnet still needed to track down the remaining artifacts, and where they were going to look first. Peridot and Amethyst could barely hear her as they were walking a good few feet behind everyone else, to tired to keep up the pace. 

“Amethyst. Thank you for saving me from that...harlot.” Peridot said quietly.

“Don’t mention it,” Amethyst yawned, “as if I would let anyone try and move in on my Peridot.”

Peridot wanted to say more to Amethyst, but she was practically dozing off as she walked, and her speech was beginning to slur. Peridot settled for gazing up at the cloudy sky, a warm feeling settling in her heart.

( _“Thank you...my Amethyst.”_ )


	14. All Is Fair In Love And ANGST

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Real talk for a second, has there ever been a time where the silent treatment didn't make the whole situation worse? Like seriously, who thought that was a good idea?

The sunlight shone in through the open barn door, filling the room with its warm glow. Peridot peacefully blinked awake, rising from her hay pile as she stretched her limbs. She (unnecessarily) took a deep breath of the fresh morning air, releasing it all with a happy sigh.

“Good morning Lazuli!” Peridot called happily.

“Oh uh...good morning.” Lapis replied.

Peridot made her way to Lapis and stood with her in the doorway, “Another beautiful day, isn’t it?”

“Okay now you’re starting to scare me. What’s gotten into you?”

“I’m just happy! The past few days have just been perfect! ...Aside from nearly being killed by an evil clone of myself. But besides that, perfect!”

“Please don’t tell me there are two of you now.”

“Oh no, she’s gone. Thanks to yours truly and Amethyst, of course.”

“I’m surprised she isn’t sick of you yet.”

“Quite the contrary, her and I are closer than ever! We go on missions together, sleep together, yesterday she even called me her Peridot!” Peridot said with a giddy laugh.

“...So?” Lapis asked quizzically.

“So?! You know as well as I do that one gem referring to another as ‘theirs’ is a sign of great loyalty and devotion! That why we call our Diamonds...well, _our Diamonds!_ How could you forget something like that?”

“Look, between being stuck in the mirror and being trapped at the bottom of the ocean, it’s a miracle I can remember my own name.”

“My point is, Amethyst’s affections have simply left me in a most elated mood. Whenever she’s around I just get so...happy. I’ve never felt anything like it on Homeworld.”

Peridot looked down towards the dirt, studying it as if it held some sort of important information. All sorts of feelings were swimming around in her mind, they were good feelings, but that did little to ease Peridot’s confusion. Thinking about all the time she and Amethyst had spent together filled her with happiness. But it wasn’t the same kind of happiness she got when she watched Camp Pining Hearts, or when she learned something knew about the Earth. It wasn’t even the same kind of happiness she had when she learned about her powers. It was an overwhelming happiness that resonated through her very being. Suddenly, it clicked.

“Lapis,” Peridot said slowly, “I think I’m...in love with Amethyst.”

“Wait, you’re only now in love with her? What was the point of the last thirteen chapters then?”

“No no, don’t get me wrong, I’ve had strong feelings about her for some time now but it’s...different. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, besides maybe myself. But it’s bigger than myself, or her or, anything! And if I feel this way, she must feel the same! Once I tell her how I feel, she’s never going to want to leave my side!” Peridot said triumphantly.

“Are you sure about all that?”

“Of course!” Peridot laughed, “I’m practically an expert on this ‘girlfriend’ stuff by now, in fact, I know exactly what’s going to happen. I’ll meet Amethyst at the house, make some small talk about whatever she happens to be doing, and then I’ll just say it. She says it back, we kiss, and then we’ll probably go on another mission or something.”

“If you say so.”

“I do say so. I know Amethyst like the back of my hand, I am her Peridot after all.” Peridot laughed, loving the way the title sounded.

Peridot left the barn, merrily walking towards the house. It was almost surreal, admitting her crush on Amethyst made Peridot feel like she was going to shatter from the stress. But this, this was different. Peridot wasn’t taking a risk or gambling on some small chance, she was simply taking her relationship with Amethyst to the next logical level. After all, logic reigns supreme...doesn’t it?

**************************************************************************************

Amethyst was sprawled out on the couch, channel surfing. Garnet and Pearl were off trying to find another one of those artifacts, and Steven was over Connie’s. Amethyst took the opportunity to take the television for herself, not that there was anything good on these days. Her attention was taken off the television for a second by the creak of the door.

“Hey Peridot.” Amethyst said, resuming her mindless channel flipping.

“Hello Amethyst, what are you doing?”

“Watchin’ TV, or trying to anyway.”

Peridot climbed up on to the couch, cuddling up to Amethyst’s side. Peridot silently watched Amethyst flip through channels for another few minutes. Amethyst took her eyes off of the television once she noticed Peridot staring at her.

“Uh, you okay dude?”

“I’m fine, I just have something important to tell you.” Peridot smiled.

“Oh well, what’s up?”

“I...I love you!” Peridot nearly shouted.

Amethyst’s eyes popped open as if she’d just heard an explosion outside. She felt her heart jump near her face before plummeting into her stomach. Amethyst wasn’t sure exactly how long she sat there in silence, time seemed to have slowed to a stop. Unfortunately for her, time was moving at more-or-less it’s scheduled pace, something Peridot reminded her of.

“Ahem, I know I’m still learning some of the nuances of the way earthlings speak, but I’m fairly certain that when one person says the phrase ‘I love you’ to someone else, the other person is supposed to say _something_ in response.” Peridot said in an annoyed tone.

“I...I uh gotta go...check on something!” Amethyst said before running off into her room.

Peridot stared at the temple door in a stunned silence. Her mind began to race, unable and unwilling to fully process what had just happened. The warm feeling of joy and optimism that once surrounded her was now beginning to run very, very cold.

“That….wasn’t what she was supposed to say.”

**************************************************************************************

Amethyst didn’t make it far into her room. As soon as the door shut behind her she leaned up against it, her heart pounding out of her chest. She certainly wasn’t expecting Peridot to say something like _that_ out of nowhere. It just didn’t make any sense, someone like Peridot, falling in love with someone like her? Amethyst was never good with this kind of stuff, especially after Rose...left. Amethyst mulled over what to do next with the only person she had left, herself.

“Alright. That wasn’t cool. But...what am I even supposed to say? I don’t want to lie to her but...I can’t tell her the truth either. Ugh! Why am I like this?!”

Amethyst turned and walked back out the door, opening her mouth to make an excuse to Peridot. She immediately encountered a problem with that plan, namely, Peridot wasn’t there anymore. The front door was still swinging on its hinges in the wind. Amethyst ran to the door, and could faintly make out a small green shape running towards the direction of the barn. Amethyst realized two things as she watched her go. Number one, panicking like that was not the smartest decision. Number two, Peridot could run a lot faster than Amethyst thought.

**************************************************************************************

Peridot threw the barn door closed as she walked in. Lapis was gone, thank the stars. The last thing she wanted was someone else to deal with. She paced around the barn, muttering to herself.

“I can’t believe her. Why wouldn’t she say anything? Is it some sort of miscommunication? Is it a fear of commitment? Is it...me?”

Peridot dismissed the thought with a weak laugh. After all, she was Peridot, any gem in their right mind would want her pining after them...right? After all the time the two had spent together, it seemed like an inevitability. It only made sense for the two of them to be in love, which didn’t seem to be the case. Peridot figured there must have been some sort of mistake on her part, a small oversight or a miscalculation. Peridot’s eye caught the photo of the two of them she kept by her hay pile. The smiles she saw in it were so bright, so happy, even though they were simply put on for the photo. Suddenly, it all made sense.

“She’s...been lying to me! I should’ve known! I’ll make her pay for humiliating me like this!”

Peridot glared at the photograph, stewing in her own anger. The only reason she didn’t smash it was because she didn’t want to listen to Lapis complain about broken glass on the floor when she got back, at least, that’s what Peridot told herself. Peridot was so busy seething that she barely noticed the sound of the barn door being opened.

“Peridot…? Are you here?” Amethyst asked quietly.

“Amethyst.” Peridot said stiffly, not taking her eyes off the photo.

“Peridot I...I have something important I need to say to you.”

Peridot put the photo down and crossed her arms, “Well? Go ahead and say it.”

Amethyst opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. There was so much she wanted to say, needed to say, but just couldn’t. She tried to force the words out, but all she could summon was a weak sound from her throat. Peridot tapped her foot impatiently.

“I thought you had something to say.” Peridot said coldly.

“I’m trying..I just...can’t.”

“Oh. I see. Kicking me while I’m down. That’s low, even for you.”

“Peridot I’m not trying to make fun of you I just-”

“You know what, just save it!” Peridot interrupted, stomping out the door. “Homeworld was right, you don’t waste your time dealing with a defective gem!”

Peridot slammed the door as hard as she could, angrily storming off. She momentarily thought she could hear crying from the other side of the door, but decided to ignore it. Peridot laughed evilly to herself, desperately trying to push any feelings of regret out of her mind.

“I sure got that clod good. Who does she think she is? First she makes a fool out of me, then she has the nerve to come and make fun of me! Unless of course, she was actually trying to apologize….but that wouldn’t make any sense! Why would a liar...bother to apologize? Unless she...wasn’t...lying in the...uh oh.”

**************************************************************************************

Amethyst was exactly where Peridot expected her to be, back at the house, on the couch. Steven was playing some game in his room, while Garnet and Pearl conversed in the kitchen. It wasn’t what Peridot considered ‘optimal’ conditions for a personal apology, but it was better than nothing. Peridot made her way into the door apprehensively, afraid Amethyst had told the other gems about their squabble. Everyone was too busy with their own devices to notice Peridot walk in. Peridot planted herself on the couch next to Amethyst.

“Hello Amethyst.” Peridot said in a desperately friendly tone.

Amethyst offered nothing but a passing glance and a grunt.

“I just wanted to...apologize for what I said. It was a bit...out of line.”

“...”

“Is there...anything you’d like to say to me?”

“...”

“What? You’re not even talking to me now? You’re impossible sometimes, you know that?!”

Amethyst got up and made her way towards the temple, Peridot following close behind her in a desperate bid for her attention. By now, the two had garnered the attention of the other gems, who watched uncomfortably as the situation unfolded. Amethyst was mere inches from the door when Peridot finally snapped.

“Fine, run away again! I’ll just keep coming back!”

Amethyst whipped around with an angry glare, “Can’t you tell when people don’t want you around?!”

Peridot jumped at Amethyst’s screams, tears forming in her eyes. She felt a devastating weight on her chest, and a dark cloud looming over her mind. She didn’t know what to think anymore. Everything she saw made her think more and more that Amethyst had been just stringing her along, but Peridot desperately didn’t want to believe it. Amethyst turned back towards the door, seemingly in pain from Peridot’s tears. 

“Why are you crying?” Amethyst asked quietly, as if she weren’t addressing Peridot.

“Why am I crying? Why am I crying?! I’m crying because my entire experience on this planet has been a lie! I’m crying because I thought that after everything I’ve been through, that I finally had something! I’m crying because...I thought I was….your Peridot…!”

Peridot couldn’t hold it together anymore. Her words devolved into unintelligible blubbering, her sobbing becoming loud and uncontrollable. Amethyst kept her back to her and her head low, barely managing to keep her own sobs under her breath. The other gems looked on, desperately wanting to intervene, but not wanting to get between them. 

“Fine then! Don’t say anything!” Peridot shouted tearfully, “I should’ve just let the cluster destroy this garbage planet!”

Peridot turned and tore her way through the door, tears flying from her face. Amethyst waited a moment before disappearing into her room, berating herself under her shaky breath. The rest of the team were silent. No one was sure exactly what to say, or who to say it to. After what seemed like a silent eternity, Pearl finally spoke up.

“Well that was certainly...awkward.”

“We have to help them guys! If we don’t, they might never speak to each other again!” Steven said, nearly on the verge of tears himself.

“Steven, these things happen. I’m sure it will all work out.” Garnet said placidly.

“No offense Garnet, but your relationship is a little different than theirs. Ruby and Sapphire pretty much have to talk to each other. You know Amethyst, she’s not going to talk unless someone makes her, and Peridot’s too mad to think straight. They need our help!” Steven pleaded.

“I suppose you’re right,” Garnet smiled, “so, what’s the plan?”

“We’re gonna have to split up. Pearl, I want you to go into the temple and make your way to Amethyst’s room. Garnet, you go find Peridot. Then bring them both to the barn, I’ll see you there!” Steven explained before running for the door.

“Wait Steven!” Pearl called, “What will you be doing?”

“Don’t worry Pearl,” Steven reassured her, his eyes glimmering, “I’ve got the perfect plan!”


	15. Dr.Steven Universe, G.e.M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See? I told you guys the silent treatment only makes things worse, and now we need to go to therapy. Lovely, just lovely.

Amethyst was always thankful that she’d managed to find herself a bed for her room. It was certainly more comfortable than sleeping on one of her junk piles, it helped her keep warm in her cold room, and it made a handy place to cry. She had tried her best to keep a straight face around the others, but once she was alone, she couldn't hold in any longer. A tight knot had formed in her throat, leaving her only option of conveying her sorrow as loud, pained wails. The scenes from today replayed over and over in Amethyst’s mind as she sobbed into her pillow. She messed up, bad. She knew she messed up, and there was nothing she could do about it. She could still hear the pain and betrayal in Peridot’s voice ringing in her ears. Peridot must’ve hated her, and it was all Amethyst’s fault. Amethyst almost didn’t notice Pearl approaching over the sound over own crying.

“Amethyst, there you are!” Pearl said worriedly.

“Look Pearl, if you’re here to tell me to pull myself together so we can go on some stupid mission, shove it. I don’t care.” Amethyst snapped, not moving her face from her pillow.

“No no, nothing like that,” Pearl said, taking a seat on the edge of Amethyst’s bed, “I’m just here to talk.”

“Well? Go ahead, talk.” Amethyst sniffed, still gripping her pillow as if she would die without it.

“I want you to come with me so you can sort out this mess with Peridot. Steven says he has some sort of plan to help you two work all this out.”

“I can’t.” Amethyst weeped.

“Why not? All you’d probably have to do is talk to her.”

“That’s why I can’t. I can’t just talk to her Pearl, she already hates me as it is. I’d probably just make it worse.” 

“Come now Amethyst, Peridot doesn’t hate you.”

“How do you know?” Amethyst asked, burying her face back into her pillow.

“Well to be fair, I don’t know the whole story. But based on what I heard earlier, the only reason Peridot is so upset is because she cares about you.”

“I’m not talking to her Pearl.” Amethyst said adamantly, while simultaneously choking back tears.

“...Would you rather talk to me?” Pearl asked quietly.

Amethyst looked back up at Pearl. Amethyst never considered her to be the most amazing person to ask for relationship advice, but it was the best she had. All Amethyst wanted was to get everything off her chest, no matter how much it hurt to do so. Amethyst put her pillow down and turned her teary-eyed attention to Pearl.

“It’s just...I don’t know how to explain it. I care a lot about Peridot, I really do. But her saying she was in love with me just...wigged me out.” 

“But why?”

“Because,” Amethyst sighed, “I felt bad for her. Being stuck with a mess-up like me? I’d probably drive her insane.”

“Amethyst, you’re being ridiculous! Peridot obviously wants to be with you, and if you truly care about her, you at least owe her an explanation.”

“I hate it when you’re right,” Amethyst grumbled, “do you think...she’ll forgive me?”

Pearl took Amethyst’s hand and pulled her from her bed, “She probably already has.”

**************************************************************************************

“Put me down you brute!”

It wasn’t terribly hard for Garnet to track down Peridot, simply following the tiny footprints in the sand led her straight to her. Peridot wasn’t exactly in a cooperative mood, especially once she found out Amethyst was involved. So Garnet did what anyone would have done in that situation. She simply picked Peridot up, stuck her under her arm, and marched towards the barn. Peridot made her objections to Garnet’s methods known.

“For the last time, I don’t want to talk to that stupid clod!”

“Well that’s too bad,” Garnet replied calmly, “because she’s going to be at the barn.”

“The instant you put me down, I’m making my escape! I don’t want anything to do with her anymore!”

“We both know that isn’t true.”

“You don’t know anything!” Peridot screamed.

“I know that the reason you’re so upset is because Amethyst didn’t return your feelings. But it’s not like you can force it. That’s not how love works, Peridot.”

Garnet’s words sent a painful sting through Peridot’s soul. Peridot stopped struggling in Garnet’s grip, becoming limp as she began to cry. She couldn’t help herself anymore, no matter how much she cried, she never felt any better. Garnet stopped in her tracks and put Peridot on the ground, sitting down next to her. Garnet didn’t say a word, simply watching Peridot silently as she let her emotions out. After a few minutes, Peridot pulled herself together enough to speak.

“I don’t know how it works!” Peridot hiccuped, “I don’t know if she’s been lying to me, or tricking me, or what, but...all I want is an answer! Why won’t she just talk to me?!”

“I can’t give you an exact answer Peridot, but you need to understand how Amethyst feels. She’s just as upset as you are.”

“But she isn’t! She stomped all over my feelings and then locked herself up in her room! What did I….what did I do wrong?!”

“Yelling at her probably didn’t help.” Garnet said bluntly.

“Not that! I meant...why didn’t she say anything? Why doesn’t she love me?” Peridot weeped.

Peridot hugged her knees to her chest, tears falling down her face. It was painful to her, not knowing how to fix her mistake. Not knowing the answer. Peridots were supposed to know everything, but no data log in the universe was going to help her know. Garnet put a hand to Peridot’s shoulder, addressing her calmly.

“Peridot, love is complicated. The fact of the matter is, she probably does love you, but the situation is too complicated for her to explain. I’m sure if she could be open with you, she would.”

“But she’s supposed to be open with me! I’m her Pe-” Peridot didn’t finish her sentence, not wanting to say what she no longer believed.

“Well, if you come with me, we get this all figured out. Okay?”

Peridot looked up at her, teary-eyed, “...Okay..”

**************************************************************************************

Steven hurriedly set up his station just outside the barn. He had found exactly what he needed among the junk around the barn. He set up a dingy old table and placed three chairs around it, two on one side, and one on the other. He threw an old blanket over the table, just to make it look nice more than anything. He sat himself in the singular chair on one side, gripping a clipboard and paper in one hand. He seemed to have gotten it all done just in time to, as the other gems soon appeared. Steven motioned Amethyst and Peridot to sit across from him, which they did hesitantly. Steven cleared his throat and looked up from his clipboard.

“Alright you two. What you need is some relationship counseling, and lucky for you, Dr.Steven is here. Now, I want you to tell me the whole story, from the beginning.”

Peridot opened her mouth to speak, but Steven quickly cut her off.

“Peridot, before you say anything, I feel like I should tell you that you need to calmly tell me what happened.”

“O-of course. It’s very simple Steven. This morning I told Amethyst that I...had very strong feelings for her. She however, did not respond. Then, when I pressed her about it, she ran away. Then I got mad, she got mad, and well, you all saw the rest.”

“Alright, thank you Peridot,” Steven said as he jotted some notes on a piece of paper, “now Amethyst, would you like to give your side of the story?”

Amethyst looked at Peridot for a solemn moment before turning back to Steven, “Well, the reason I was mad was because Peridot called me defective. She knows how I feel about...that.”

“Now Peridot,” Steven said, “do you really think that was the right thing to do?”

“Well...no,” Peridot said shamefully, “b-b-but I tried to apologize! And then she just sat there! She wouldn’t even look at me!”

“Amethyst, why wouldn’t you accept her apology?” Steven asked.

“Because she’s...right,” Amethyst sighed, “I know I’m messed up.”

“Amethyst there’s no need to talk bad about yourself. I’m sure Peridot didn’t mean anything by it, right Peridot?” Steven insisted.

“Of course I didn’t!” Peridot said defensively, “I was just lashing out because she hurt me…”

“Alright, we’re making some good progress. Now-”

“Wait!” Peridot cut Steven off, “None of this is answering the actually important question!”

“Peridot, please calm down.” Steven urged her.

“I don’t want to calm down!” Peridot snapped, grabbing Amethyst by the shoulders, “Why wouldn’t you say anything?!”

“P-Peridot...I..” Amethyst whispered.

“Just tell me! Have you just been lying to me this whole time?!”

“Excuse me?” Amethyst replied indignantly.

“You heard me! Have you just been stringing me along because you think it’s funny?!” Peridot growled.

“Peridot..it’s not….you don’t...ugh! Get off me!”

Amethyst shoved Peridot as hard as she could. Peridot’s body was thrown onto the table, smashing it into pieces. Steven jumped back as pieces of wood soared through the air. Peridot laid in the pile, groaning in pain. Amethyst got up and gave Peridot a worried look.

“Oh my god Peridot! I’m so sorry, are you-”

Peridot lunged towards Amethyst, screaming her head off. The two grappled for a few minutes before tumbling onto the ground. They screamed and swore at each other, too overwhelmed with sorrow and anger to think properly. They pushed, shoved, and threw each other to the ground repeatedly in a big ball of violence and contempt. Garnet and Pearl maneuvered around the two of them to Steven’s side, as he watched on, tearful.

“Come on guys, please don’t fight!”

“It’s alright Steven,” Garnet said, “they aren't even using weapons or powers, they won’t get too hurt.”

“That’s not the point!” Steven whined, “They’re supposed to be talking and working things out! Not to mention, I’m a little afraid all this wrestling is going to turn into something gross.”

“You tried your best Steven, but sometimes two people just...can’t settle their differences.”

“I know but…” Steven’s sentence trailed off, something in the scuffle catching his attention.

“Steven? Is something wrong?” Pearl asked.

“I...probably would have noticed this a long time ago, but do your gems normally glow when you guys get mad?”

“Er...no? Why?”

Turns out Steven was right to be confused. Amethyst and Peridot’s gems were both shining a powerful light, not that either of them seemed to notice or care. Their lights blended together, becoming more and more intense as they fought. Without warning, the light burst, temporarily blinding the other gems. When the light died down, Ammolite was lying in the dirt where the two gems once were, screaming striking at herself with forceful punches.

“And another thing! I...wait.”

Ammolite picked herself up from the dirt and looked herself over. She looked down at her hands, then all over her body. She looked back up at the other gems, obviously just as confused as they were. She sprinted over to them, a pained expression on her face.

“W-w-why am I here?! I’m not supposed to be here!”

“Ammolite, your voice!” Steven exclaimed.

“My...voice?”

Normally it would not be appropriate to say Ammolite had a voice, really, she had two. Or at least, she used to. No longer did it sound like Peridot and Amethyst fighting to be heard over one another, Ammolite’s voice was her own. It was a rough sounding voice, gravelly even, with an undertone of elegance, like a church organ being played by someone who was tone deaf. 

“Great. First I show up when I’m not supposed to, and now my voice is messed up. Garnet, you’re an expert on this stuff, why am I here?”

“Beats me.” Garnet said plainly.

“What?! But fusion is like...your thing! How did they even fuse?!”

“Look, Ruby and Sapphire have fused a lot over the years, but they’ve never had an angry fusion. I wasn’t even sure that would be possible.”

Ammolite opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly dropped to her knees. She doubled over on the ground, her entire being wracked with unbearable pain. Her vision was beginning to grow dark as every one of her muscles began to tremble. The pain forced tears from her eyes, and sweat from her face. Any and all attempts to move were met with another shock of agony.

“Ammolite!” Steven screamed, “What’s wrong?!”

“It...hurts…” was all Ammolite could respond with.

“Ammolite! You’re going to be okay...Ammolite….please...” Steven’s words slowly began to fade as Ammolite finally lost consciousness.


	16. Love Never Dies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who knows when love begins?  
> Who knows what makes it start?  
> One day it's simply there,  
> Alive inside your heart!

“Peridot! Peridot where are you?!”

Amethyst trudged her way through Ammolite’s mind, which was no easy feat. The ground was no longer solid, walking through it was like trying to work your way through a hot mud puddle. The ‘sky’ if you could call it that, was shrouded in dark clouds. A harsh rain fell from them, pelting Amethyst with enough force to cause bruises. Amethyst could see red sparks occasionally flashing in the clouds, and could hear distant claps of thunder. She couldn’t feel Ammolite’s presence at all, let alone Peridot’s. What even happened? Why did they...how did they even end up fusing like that? No matter how it happened, it happened, which was the least of Amethyst’s problems at the current moment. All she wanted was to find Peridot, make sure she was safe. After a few more minutes of plodding through the unforgiving ground, her hopes were answered. Answered by a groan of pain, but answered nonetheless.

“Am..ethyst..”

“Peridot!”

Peridot was half-sunk in the boggy terrain, her arm and most of her face being the only parts of her still visible. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she lie in the muck, making no attempt to free herself. She didn’t appear to be fully conscious, as any attempt Amethyst made to communicate to her was met with pained moans or flat-out silence. Amethyst grabbed Peridot’s hand and pulled as hard as she could, slowly but surely pulling her from the ground. Amethyst held Peridot close to her body as the storm around her began to get worse. She ran as fast as she could through the muddy ground, desperately keeping her grip on the unconscious Peridot.

“Don’t worry Peridot,” Amethyst panted, “I’m here for you.”

**************************************************************************************  
“Hey...Ammolite. Are you...oh my gosh, I think she’s waking up!” Steven proclaimed.

Ammolite’s eyes blinked open slowly. She could barely see. Steven was maybe only a few inches from her face, but all Ammolite could make out was a pinkish blob. The intense pain she felt earlier had thankfully died down to a dull ache. She still felt like herself, that is to say, Amethyst and Peridot certainly didn’t exist at this point. This was good...but also bad. Her being unable to feel their presence in addition to her own meant she was still stable, the only problem was, she didn’t want to be stable. If her form began to break down, that would at least mean Amethyst and Peridot would come back. But as it stood, she was there instead, like it or not. Her vision finally began to settle, and she could clearly see Steven standing over her with a big grin. She was back at the house, her body stiff on the couch. She looked down at herself slowly, and looked herself over. Her gems were thankfully undamaged, although her skin was much more muted than usual. She sat up painfully and turned to Steven.

“What...happened?”

“You sorta just...passed out,” Steven explained, “Garnet carried you back here. You’ve been asleep for like a day and a half. It’s actually almost night time again already.”

“I’ve been asleep? I was fused the whole time?”

Ammolite did her best to get up from the couch. Every muscle in her body begged her not to, but she tried anyway. She couldn’t help but whine slightly as she stood, her own weight becoming uncomfortable upon her aching frame. She finally managed to stand, barely able to hold herself up. She took a few shaky steps forward, using every ounce of might in her body to keep from toppling over. 

“Ammolite, let me help you!” Steven said as he ran to her side, grabbing one of her lower hands.

“Let go of me!” Ammolite grumbled, “I can handle it myself!”

“Nonsense,” Steven said as he opened the door, “come on, let’s get you some fresh air.”

**************************************************************************************

The storm was getting worse. Crimson lightning tore the sky open, and ice cold rain flooded the land. Whatever Ammolite was doing, Amethyst desperately wished she would stop. The only thing keeping the howling wind from knocking Amethyst over was the vicious ground. Amethyst held Peridot close to her chest, desperately trying to keep the freezing rain from soaking her. The normally flat landscape of Ammolite’s mind was twisted into a horrid, uneven mess. The reflective ground rose and fell into several small hills, which in conjunction with the nearly adhesive ground made moving an ordeal. Amethyst made her way to the top of a hill when something at the bottom caught her eye. The ground had risen high up, forming a small cave-like structure. Amethyst ran as fast as she could towards it, ducking down into it in an instant. The ground inside the cave was as solid as concrete, a welcome respite from what she had been dealing with for who knows how long now.

“Peridot,” Amethyst breathed as she set Peridot’s unconscious body down, “you’re safe now.”

Amethyst looked over Peridot’s body and gem, making sure she was unharmed. She was relieved to find no visible damage, but frustrated that she still wouldn’t wake up. Even if she was upset with her, she needed Peridot. Without her, she had no control over Ammolite, which meant she could unfuse them. If only she had said something when Peridot told her she loved her, maybe they wouldn’t be in this mess! Amethyst’s latest round of self-loathing came to a quick stop when Peridot’s body started to move.

“Wh-what’s going on..? My aching head…”

“Peridot!” Amethyst yelled happily, “I thought you were a goner!”

“Are we...fused...still..?” Peridot asked, taking a pained look outside.

“Either that of Beach City really went to hell while you were asleep. Look, we need to work together to sync back up with Ammolite, so we can go back to being ourselves.”

“Agreed. How do we do that?”

“Just close your eyes, and focus.”

Amethyst and Peridot shut their eyes, trying their best to block out the noise from outside. Their gems began to glow as thy attempted to resonate their energy through Ammolite’s body. They began to feel her presence, began to learn her memories. They could see her staring off into the ocean, Steven gripping one of her hands as tight as he could. They could feel themselves slowly regaining control over Ammolite's body. Suddenly, the two of them were simultaneously hit with a sharp jolt of agony. The two cried out as a burning pain enveloped their entire bodies. Their grip on Ammolite was ripped from them just as quickly as they had gotten hold of it. Amethyst flopped onto the ground, doubled over in pain as tears fell from her eyes. Peridot ran to her in a panic.

“Oh my stars! Amethyst! Are you okay?!”

“Peridot…” Amethyst sobbed weakly, “I’m...so...sorry…”

“Amethyst? Amethyst?!” Peridot shouted as Amethyst’s body stopped moving, “Amethyst please I...I can’t….lose you again…!”

**************************************************************************************

Ammolite gazed out into the ocean, still holding onto Steven’s hand. Not that she had much of a choice, Steven refused to let go, no matter how loudly Ammolite voiced her complaints. The two watched the water in silence, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the cool air of the sea. Steven only spoke up again when Ammolite tried to wrestle her hand away.

“I told you, I’m not letting go.”

“Why not?!” Ammolite thundered.

“Because, you’re hurt and you need help! I don’t want something bad to happen to you!” Steven said, his words burning with dedication.

“I can handle myself! I’m not some weakling!” Ammolite shouted, unable to fight her pain enough to take her hand back.

“Needing help doesn’t make you weak!”

“Yes it does!” Ammolite roared, her voice echoing through the empty beach.

“Ammolite…” Steven whispered sadly.

Ammolite sat down, dragging Steven down to the sand with her. She could feel a painful sting in the back of her eyes, and she tried to make herself believe it was always there. She watched the water ebb and flow on the shoreline solemnly, picking up a small handful of sand and letting it slip through her fingers. She looked over at Steven as he tightened her grip in her hand, desperate for her to speak again.

“You don’t get it Steven,” Ammolite sighed, “I need to be strong. It’s what I’m supposed to be.”

“What do you mean?”

“The reason I exist, the reason...they fused. I exist because Peridot and Amethyst wanted to be stronger, remember? If I’m not strong, what’s the point of me existing?” Ammolite choked.

“Ammolite, it isn’t like that!” Steven protested.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes I do! I know that Peridot was going on about wanting to help Amethyst on missions and stuff, but that isn’t who you are! They fused before all that, remember?”

“Yeah, and without them to control me, I was a mindless monster, remember?”

“You’re not a monster! So you torched Beach City, the rest of the gems do that like, every other week!”

“You’re a good kid,” Ammolite chuckled, “I’m sorry you’re stuck dealing with a failure like me.”

Steven clutched Ammolite’s hand tearfully, “Ammolite, it isn’t like that, I swear.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Amethyst and Peridot. They fused because they care about each other. Even if it was about being strong, all they wanted was to help and protect each other. Just like how I want to help you, because I care about you!”

“You don’t care about me, you care about who I’m made out of.” Ammolite murmured. 

Steven threw Ammolite’s hand to the ground and stood up. Ammolite nearly recoiled in fear. He looked mad, madder than she’d ever seen. Ammolite wasn’t sure what in the world he could be so worked up about, she was just telling the truth...right?

“Ammolite, will you knock it off already?! I don’t care if you’re a fusion! You’re just as much of a part of this family as anyone else, we love you and we don’t want you to get hurt!”

“Who’s we?” Ammolite wheezed.

“Me and the other gems! Garnet feels so bad that she can’t help you that she’s been shut up in her room for days! Pearl’s been going from her room down into Amethyst’s for...some reason. I’m not really sure, but she’s probably something nice! Not to mention I’ve been watching you sleep this whole time, waiting for you to wake up!”

“But why?! Why do any of you care what happens to me?! I’m not even supposed to be here right now!”

“Because we love you!” Steven shouted as angrily as one could shout their love.

Ammolite just sat there in a stunned daze. This kid couldn't be serious. She’s only existed for roughly three days in total, maybe four. How the hell could he, or anyone for that matter, care so much about her in such a small amount of time? It was weird, to think that someone would go to such lengths for someone who literally hadn’t existed not terribly long ago. Weirder still, Ammolite found herself believing him, finding an odd comfort in his words. 

“You...do?” Ammolite asked tearfully.

“Of course we do!” Steven insisted as he sat back down, “And Amethyst and Peridot love you too, can’t you feel it?”

“I feel...something.” Ammolite admitted.

It was a warm feeling. It was almost pleasant, a soothing warmth that managed to take some of the pain away from Ammolite’s exhausted form. She smiled as she felt it grow warmer, spreading further and further into her body. Then all at once, it began to burn furiously. An ungodly heat tore through Ammolite’s body, racking her already aching body with a fresh burst of pain. Ammolite clutched at her stomach, fearfully fighting off the nausea that was beginning to set in. Then just like that, it subsided. Steven looked on with a horrified expression.

“Ammolite...are you okay?!”

“I’m...fine. I’m fine!” she lied, “It’s getting dark. I’m heading up to the barn for the night.”

“Wait right here for a sec!”

“Why?”

“I’m grabbing some blankets and pillows, and maybe a flashlight. I’m staying with you tonight.”

“Steven you don’t-” Ammolite’s protest was cut short by Steven’s glare, “Alright, alright. You can come.”

**************************************************************************************

“Amethyst, please wake up!”

The storm raged outside, nearly drowning out Peridot’s cries. Peridot couldn't get herself in sync with Ammolite without Amethyst, and that was the least of her problems. Peridot shook Amethyst as hard as she could, unable to think of a better solution. Eventually, it seemed to work.

“Peridot…?” Amethyst asked weakly.

“Amethyst!” Peridot squealed as she clung to Amethyst, “Ammolite’s mind is going crazy! What do we do?!”

“I don’t know.” she replied solemnly.

“Amethyst...are we going to die?”

“....Maybe. I don’t know.”

“Oh my stars.” Peridot sobbed under her breath.

“I’m so sorry Peridot. This is all my fault.” Amethyst weeped.

“Amethyst...before we die, can you tell me something?”

“What is it?”

“Why do you hate me so much?”

“W-What? Peridot, I don’t hate you at all!” Amethyst replied in a confused tone.

“Yes you do!” Peridot yelled as tears streamed down her face, “When I told you I loved you, you ran away and got mad at me. Can you please just tell me why so I can be shattered in peace?!”

“Peridot..I..I just didn’t want you to make a huge mistake.” Amethyst said painfully.

“What are you talking about?”

“Open your eyes Peridot! I’m a bad gem! I was put in the ground so that I could hurt people! But I couldn’t even do that right, so now, I’m this short, ugly...thing!”

“But I’m a bad gem too! I was sent here to help destroy the planet! But the other gems all forgave me, it isn’t who I am anymore! It doesn’t have to be you either!”

Amethyst stared down at the ground, her face hot with sorrow and shame. Nothing Peridot was saying mattered. Besides the fact that they seemed to be on the brink of death, she just didn’t get it.

“Look. Rose was like an angel, and she still drove Pearl off the deep end. She used to be kinda cool now she’s...well, Pearl. Imagine what someone like me would do to someone like you!”

“Amethyst, that wouldn’t happen!”

“It doesn’t matter anyway!” Amethyst cried into her hands, “Even if we make it out of this alive, I still pushed away one of the only people who actually cared about me!”

The noise from the storm overhead was no match for Amethyst wails. The echoed off of the cavern walls, filling the empty air with the sounds of painful regret. Amethyst’s ears and soul were filled with such anguish that she almost didn’t pick up the sound of Peridot’s voice.

“I still love you.”

“W-what?”

“I said, I still love you.” Peridot repeated as she moved Amethyst’s hands from her face.

“After everything I did to you, the nasty stuff I said to you, even after getting you stuck in this mess, you still...love me?”

“Of course I do! The whole reason I was upset in the first place was because I thought I did something to make you hate me! Spending time with you makes me so happy I just...couldn’t stand the thought of not being able to anymore.”

“Peridot...I could never hate you. I’m so, so sorry.”

“So am I.”

“So much for me helping you find something on Earth to make you happy. Looks like I just ended up getting you killed instead.” Amethyst said, desperately hoping for a small bit of humor before her end.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’ve already given me something on Earth to be happy about.”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Peridot said with a teary smile, “The thing I love most about being on Earth, is getting to be your Peridot.”

“P-P-Peridot..I..”

Peridot hugged Amethyst as tightly as she could, “I love you Amethyst!”

“Oh Peridot...I love you too!”

The two held each other in a tight, tearful embrace as Ammolite’s mind fell apart around them.

**************************************************************************************

The flash of light that filled the barn nearly made Steven soil is pajamas. He quickly jumped up and clicked his flashlight at the spot Ammolite was lying in. She was gone! Amethyst was leaned up against the barn wall, a half asleep Peridot snuggled up to her chest. Amethyst looked at Steven with a weak glance.

“Hey dude.”

“Amethyst! Peridot! You’re back!”

“Keep it down you clod!” Peridot grumbled.

“Oh...sorry. Are you guys okay?”

“Things got kinda rough but, we’re gonna be just fine,” Amethyst replied, “thanks for helping Ammolite.”

“No problem! I’m so glad you guys are back, I didn’t think I was ever going to see either of you ever again and I-”

“Steven,” Amethyst interrupted, “did you tell Pearl you were coming out here this late?”

“Well...no. But I-”

“Steven, go home before Pearl gives herself a heart attack. We’ll all hang tomorrow.”

“I’ll hold you to it!” Steven said as he gathered his things, “goodnight!”

Steven slamming the door jolted Peridot awake, “Damn clod…”

“Just go back to sleep Peri.”

“Trust me, I’m trying,” Peridot said with a quick kiss, “I love you.”

Peridot’s words danced around in Amethyst’s head. After everything that had happened, they still sounded so pure, so genuine. It was a feeling Amethyst hadn’t felt before. It was a warm, secure feeling. It made her feel like everything was going to turn out okay.

“I love you too.”


	17. Too Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Man those last few chapters were a real barrel of laughs weren't they? Between all the crying and arguing, I'm starting to feel a little down. Guess I'll just do what I always do when I'm feeling sad, pump my body with copious amounts of caffeine and sugar! YAAAY!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a breather chapter for now, I promise the plot will be laid on a bit thicker in the coming chapters. But for now, enjoy something light~

Peridot opened her eyes slowly, groggily gazing up at the ceiling. It had been about three days since her and Amethyst unfused, and they hadn’t been the easiest of days. The two went to tell the other gems that they were okay the morning after they were back to normal. After describing the situation to Garnet, she informed them that Ammolite unfused due to becoming too unstable to support herself. Apparently, staying in an unstably fused state for that long is a bit taxing on one’s physical form. Peridot’s head felt fuzzy, delivering her a small twinge of pain when she moved her eyes. Her skin was hot to the touch, despite the fact that she’d been having shivering fits for over a day now. She could barely keep herself conscious, and as such, refused to leave the barn. Amethyst checked in on her from time to time, despite being in just as rough shape as Peridot was. 

“Why must everything on this planet be so difficult?” Peridot grumbled to herself as she checked the time on her tablet. 

“Peridot, you still alive in here?” Amethyst’s voice called from outside.

“Unfortunately.” Peridot called back.

Amethyst opened the door and made her way inside, a large white sack thrown over her shoulder. She had dark circles under her half-open eyes, her hair a tattered mess. She trudged into the barn, dropping the bag with a heavy clang. Colorful cans spilled from it, each one roughly the same size. Peridot picked one up that was the same color as herself and inspected it.

“What are these?”

“It’s soda. Steven had a ton in his fridge for some reason. I figured they might make us feel better.” Amethyst said as she cracked a can open.

Peridot eyed the can uneasily. She attempted to mimic what Amethyst had done by pulling the tab, opening the can after a few unsuccessful minutes with a loud ker-chunk. She brought it to her lips and took a small sip, artificial citrus assaulting her taste buds. The cavalcade of lemon and lime fizz flowed down her throat into her stomach, resting coldly in her core. Peridot held the can upside down, chugging the contents with loud gulps. Once the can was empty, she discarded it with a loud, lemony burp.

“I didn’t expect you to like it so much.” Amethyst laughed.

“I’m not sure I’d call that experience pleasant, I simply wanted the liquid’s healing properties to take effect.”

“Healing properties?” Amethyst echoed bewilderedly, “It isn’t medicine Peridot, I just meant it tastes good.”

“...Oh.”

Amethyst tossed her empty can of store brand cola to the side with a dejected sigh, “I just did it again.”

“Did what?”

“I just made you do something you didn’t want to do because I’m too stupid to say it right the first time.”

“Are you still on that?” Peridot snapped crankily, “I thought we were passed all this.”

“We are, we are. I just feel bad that’s all.” Amethyst muttered.

“You have nothing to feel bad about,” Peridot said as she levitated another can towards herself, “you explained yourself thoroughly in Ammolite’s mind, it was a misunderstanding.”

“I just...you’re not even mad? Like, even a little?”

“Well I would’ve preferred if we could have made up without subjecting our physical forms to this affliction, but no, I am not angry.”

“Are you sure?”

“Amethyst for the last time I-”

Peridot was cut short by the barn door being flung open. Greg stood in the entrance with a panicked look, that only got worse once he saw the bag Amethyst had brought with her. 

“I should’ve guessed you were the one who stole the soda Amethyst. We need that for the big end of summer party!”

“Oh duh!” Amethyst face palmed, “No wonder there was so much!”

“What are you going on about?” Peridot asked in confusion.

“You know how you saw the leaves changing color? That means that summer is almost over. At the end of the summer, everyone has a huge party on the beach one last celebration before the weather gets colder.” Amethyst explained.

“Yeah and they asked me to hold the soda,” Greg huffed before taking a closer look at the two gems, “...hey are you guys okay?”

“We had a small...incident is all.” Peridot replied.

“Oh yeah, Steven told me about that mess. I’m glad you guys patched things up.”

“So are we.” Amethyst laughed happily.

Greg surveyed the display before him. The only thing more obviously exhausted than the faces he saw were the voices he heard. Their words were strained, almost annoyed. Through the mist of weariness however, was a glimmer. A glimmer of affection. A glimmer of genuine effort. A glimmer of love. Greg smiled as a nostalgic feeling washed over him. He turned back out the doorway and called back to the gems over his shoulder. 

“You know what? Keep the soda. I’ll just get more, I’m loaded nowadays anyway.”

“Oh, uh thanks.” Amethyst said as he walked away.

“So when exactly is this…’party’?” Peridot asked as she threw another empty can into her growing pile.

“I don’t know, probably a couple of weeks,” Amethyst replied as she sat next to Peridot, “why? Do you wanna go?”

“You enjoy conversing with humans, and it would be rude of me not to accompany you. Besides, the probability of me learning something worthwhile about humans during a large gathering is quite high.” Peridot explained in between sips of bubbly sweetness calling itself grape flavor.

“I don’t know. To be honest I tend to stay away from this one, there’s usually a ton of booze there.”

“Booze?”

“It’s this nasty stuff humans drink that makes them act all weird.” Amethyst gagged.

“If it’s so gross, why do they drink it?”

“Some humans like it, and some of them kinda need it. Pearl explained it to me once, they basically get to a point where they don’t have anything else, so they just get smashed all day. It’s pretty sad.”

“For once these humans show a feeling I can sympathize with.” Peridot chuckled as she gulped down a can of cherry soda.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I know how it feels not to have much. When I was first stranded on Earth, I thought I was as good as shattered. But now, I have you! And Steven, and all the others. When I was allied with Homeworld, all I really had was Jasper and-”

Lapis came flying through the open door on a pair of water wings. She landed deftly, her bare feet nearly knocking over Peridot’s pile of empties. She rubbed her eyes with a soft yawn, tired from her long flight. She barely managed to catch the soda can Peridot tossed to her.

“Oh...thanks.” Lapis said awkwardly.

“You look tired, it will make you feel better. I’ve been drinking them for a while now and I feel great!” Peridot said triumphantly.

“Peridot...how many sodas have you had?” Amethyst asked as she finally noticed the dozen or so empty cans piled up in the corner.

“I’m not sure. Why do you ask?”

“Because you’re really not supposed to have so many of those at once.”

“Nonsense! I feel fine! ….Mostly fine. …...Oh dear.”

Peridot sprinted outside, clutching her stomach in pain. The sound of her throwing up soda echoed through the barn, a painful sound that killed Amethyst’s thirst. Lapis walked up to Amethyst, using her powers to contort the soda into colorful shapes in the air. She did her best to speak over the sounds of Peridot gagging and coughing.

“You’re a patient girl. I can only put up with her for a few minutes at a time, I can’t imagine what being fused with her was like.”

“It wasn’t that bad. I mean the last time was pretty freaky, but it happens I guess. I’m just glad she doesn’t hate me.”

“Peridot isn’t exactly complicated,” Lapis said as she opened a few more cans to work with, “once she finds something she likes she clings to it. I have half that weird show she likes memorized from her playing on loop all the time. Seems to me that you’re really important to her.”

“I guess I am.” Amethyst smiled.

“I need to go show this to Steven,” Lapis gestured to her rainbow of soda shapes, “you should probably make sure Peridot is okay. Well, as okay as she can be.”

Amethyst made her way outside as Lapis flew off. Peridot was doubled over, one hand on the barn to keep her standing. A torrent of colorful liquid erupted from her mouth, staining the grass with sugary acid. Amethyst placed a hand on Peridot’s shoulder once she was finally empty. Peridot looked back at her with teary eyes.

“You could have warned me about this.” Peridot heaved.

“I didn’t think you were going to slam down a gallon of it all at once! Come on, let’s get you to my room so you can sleep this off.”

Amethyst took Peridot by the hand and started to walk back towards the house. They weren’t even a dozen paces from the barn before a distant voice caught their attention. Before they knew it, Pearl was running up to them, a small plastic bag in one hand and a roll of paper in the other.

“Hello you two,” she sang, “how are you both feeling?”

“Well I feel like living garbage and Peridot just killed a few plants. So not amazing.” Amethyst grumbled.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said before turning to Peridot, “Peridot, the reason I’m here is because I need your help.”

“With what?” Peridot asked faintly.

Pearl held up the plastic bag, containing a fine black powder, “This is the remnants of the shadow stone. A careful analysis revealed that the other artifacts we’re trying to locate are made from the same material. I’m not sure what it is exactly, but it isn’t from Earth. I drew up some plans for a device that would allow us to track the rest down, but I’m too busy helping Garnet search the old fashioned way. I was hoping you could construct the device for us.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Peridot said with pain in her voice, “let me just-”

Amethyst snatched the plans from Pearl before Peridot could grab them, “Look P, Peridot isn’t feeling so hot right now. Can she build it tomorrow? I’ll even help her!”

“O-of course! If you too are unwell, please don’t overexert yourselves! Let me escort the two of you back to the temple.”

“Thanks P.” Amethyst laughed weakly.

The three gems made their way back to the temple, making idle small talk all the while. Peridot studied the plans Pearl made, a tad rudimentary, but workable nonetheless. Amethyst told Pearl about what had happened inside Ammolite, giving her a more detailed story than before. Pearl nodded along intently, doing her best to keep a calm silence. At least, until Peridot threw up on her shoes.


	18. When In Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> >tfw you finally realize the plot is out to get you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys we hit 3000 hits! Thanks again for reading!! :D

Peridot woke up hanging off of Amethyst’s bed, her hair in shambles and her visor half off her face. The blankets, sheets, and pillows alike were all strewn about the immediate vicinity of the bed, leaving only the two of them still on it. Amethyst was still out cold, snoring loudly with her entire body outstretched. Adjusting her visor, Peridot picked herself back up onto the mattress with a stifled yawn. She was relieved to find herself no longer feeling as if she was in the throes of death like yesterday. She certainly didn’t feel amazing, her head was still stuffed and her muscles ached, but that was heavenly compared to how she felt before. The whole night before was a bit of a blur in her mind. Neither her nor Amethyst had even bothered to change their clothes, and although Amethyst’s room lacked a clock, Peridot had a weird feeling it was almost noon. Peridot tidied her hair back into a perfect triangle before attempting to wake Amethyst.

“Amethyst. Amethyst wake up.”

“Ugh...what? What’s goin’ on?” Amethyst mumbled, still mostly asleep.

“Wake up, we need to build Pearl’s device, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah in like….five more minutes.” Amethyst yawned as she rolled over.

Peridot got off the bed and examined the floor. While still trying to piece together how the two of them managed to strip the entire bed in their sleep, Peridot noticed Pearl’s plans lying amidst the wreckage. Sitting next to it was the small plastic bag with the remains of the shadow stone held inside it. A shiver ran down Peridot’s spine as she held the bag in her hand. The thought of those horrid clones made Peridot sick to her stomach. The entire scene began to flood back into Peridot’s mind. Finding the stone, the clones harassing her, fusing into Ammolite…

As soon as Ammolite crossed Peridot’s mind, a sharp pain tore through her, starting in the back of her eyes and quickly making its way through her entire being. Peridot let out a glass-shattering scream as she fell to the ground. The entire world spun at mach 5 as Peridot continued to yell out in pain. Every muscle in her body gave out, leaving her unable to move as the agony riddled her body. Her dimming vision could make out a faint shadow peering over her. The shadow tried to communicate with Peridot, but its faint voice muffled by Peridot’s incessant screaming. Peridot’s vision slowly returned, the odd shadow dispersing, revealing Amethyst in its place. Feeling began to ebb back into Peridot’s body as the pain finally flowed away. Peridot managed to sit up, her eyes overflowing with tears and her body drenched in a cold sweat.

“Peridot,” Amethyst panicked, “what the hell was that?!”

“I’m…not entirely sure. I was just thinking about Ammolite when-”

Ammolite’s name forced Amethyst’s expression to go sour. Her eyes squeezed shut as her body shook, jolts of pain burning her from the inside-out. Amethyst gritted her teeth as she forced herself to stay standing, her hands balled into angry fists. The stronger gem was able to seemingly force the pain away as she let out a coarse sigh.

“Let’s...not talk about her for now. Let’s just go build Pearl’s stupid thing so I can go back to bed.” Amethyst growled, pulling Peridot from the floor.

“...Agreed.”

**************************************************************************************

The two gems made their way into the barn. Peridot was still studying the plans, while Amethyst started sorting through the piles of scrap Peridot had lying around. Peridot told her what they were gonna need on the way there, but she was having a hard time remembering exactly what she had said. Besides the fact that Peridot said it to her at a million miles an hour in nerd-talk that she couldn’t hope to understand, her eyes and head were still stinging from this morning. Every time Ammolite crossed her mind, she’d feel a quick, sharp pain. Usually it was in her head, but sometimes it would start somewhere weird, like her back of her stomach. Amethyst wasn’t an expert on fusion, but even she knew that wasn’t right. She wasn’t even sure if Garnet would know what to do. Amethyst picked up the entire scrap pile and dropped next to Peridot.

“Here you go.” she said, frustrated.

“Oh uh...thanks. Could you grab me my toolbox? It’s by my hay pile.”

“Yeah sure.”

Amethyst walked over to Peridot’s hay pile. It was incredibly neat and organized, well, for a hay pile anyway. Her toolbox was sitting next to it, alongside her portable TV and a familiar looking picture frame. Amethyst picked it up, her heart warming when she saw the picture. It was the two of them, their faces pressed together to fit in the frame. It all seemed so long ago. Amethyst looked back at Peridot with a smile on her face. It wasn’t always easy but, Amethyst felt a keen sense of joy when she thought about her and Peridot being together. Someone to talk to, someone to laugh with, someone who wouldn’t blame you for nearly getting them killed in a horrible fusion accident, it was nice. She grabbed the toolbox and sat next to Peridot.

“So, how do we do this?”

“No offense but these plans probably wouldn’t make much sense to you. Just hand me some tools and I’ll try to get this done as soon as possible.” Peridot replied, setting the plans down and levitating hunks of metal towards her.

“Sounds good to me”

“Hand me the rythmatic pulver-I mean uh, hammer, please.”

Amethyst couldn’t help but laugh as she handed the tool to Peridot, “Man that takes me back. I can’t believe Garnet put you on that leash.”

“Yes well, I’d rather not think about it.” Peridot grumbled as she began working.

“Why? Don’t like leashes?”

“No it’s just, that was the first time it became apparent that my knowledge of Earth etiquette was...lacking, so to speak.”

“What because you insulted me? You said you were sorry, obviously I forgive you now.”

“That doesn’t mean I like to think about it.” Peridot huffed.

“Aw, look who has a conscience.” Amethyst teased.

“Just, shut up and hand me the screwdriver please.”

Amethyst gave Peridot the screwdriver, but did the opposite of shutting up, “I was mad at the time, but I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I know. I suppose it wasn’t all bad, that was the day I started developing feelings for you.”

“R-really?” Amethyst blushed with a surprised look.

“Well...kinda. I didn’t exactly realize it until much later but, that’s about when I remember feeling different around you.”

“What made you feel so different?” Amethyst inquired.

“Well...I mean,” Peridot blushed, “when I was making you laugh it felt...nice. I spent my whole life trying to make Yellow Diamond happy. Seeing a measurable result in making you happy just...made me feel good.”

“Aw Peri, that’s sweet.” Amethyst said with a tight hug.

Peridot desperately tried to keep building the device with her arms half pinned, “So, when did you start to feel different around me?”

“Probably when you were lying on top of me after saving me from the drill.”

Peridot yanked herself out of Amethyst’s grip, her face a burning dark green, “W-what?!”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” Amethyst laughed, “it was after we started spending more time together. You’re just fun to hang out with, and then when you told me you had a crush on me I just...felt it I guess.”

“Ah yes, my second greatest act of bravery,” Peridot bragged, “in hindsight I’m not sure what I was so nervous about. Immediately after you and I were together, nice and easy.”

“Hehe yeah we uh, we sure were.”

Peridot’s words hung in Amethyst's mind for far longer than they should have. They did end up getting together immediately. That also seemed to be about the time all the trouble started happening too. Peridot almost getting killed by that monster, the big misunderstanding about the pet names, the mess with Purple Ammolite. None of it would have happened if Amethyst had said no, or at least taken more time to think about it. She looked over at Peridot who was still diligently working on the device. When she looked at her, she felt so many things. She felt love, respect, appreciation, devotion. She hated herself for feeling a pinch of doubt on top of it all. Did Peridot feel the same way? It probably wouldn’t be hard to regret dating someone who almost got you killed. A hard feeling sunk in Amethyst’s gut as her mind kept wandering.

“Do you think we rushed into all this?” Amethyst said without thinking.

“What do you mean?” Peridot replied without looking up from her work.

“I just mean, most couples get to know each other first before becoming serious. You would’ve known what you were getting into.” Amethyst sighed.

Peridot turned her attention back at Amethyst, “We got to know each other afterward. I don’t see how much of a problem that could cause.”

“That’s true but… I just hate to think I’m messing this all up.”

Peridot’s eyes lingered on Amethyst as she put the half finished device down. She scooted over to Amethyst and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a powerful hug. Amethyst hugged her back, trembling slightly as she held her. Suddenly, Amethyst began to cry. She didn’t even know why she was crying, but she couldn’t stop. Perhaps all the stress of recent events had finally caught up to her, or maybe she just felt bad for Peridot. She couldn’t be sure, just like Peridot was definitely sure she couldn’t keep watching such a display. Peridot gave Amethyst’s face a gentle nudge, planting a kiss on her lips as soon as she looked up. Peridot tightened her grip on Amethyst, holding her as tightly as she could. Amethyst could feel herself melting in Peridot’s arms, she felt like she was being smothered in love she didn’t deserve. Peridot finally pulled away.

“I don’t regret this. I don’t regret any of this. Do you?”

“Of course not!” Amethyst said with tears still in her eyes, “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m tougher than I look.” Peridot grinned before kissing her again.

“I love you so much.” Amethyst smiled.

“I love you too, now come on.” Peridot said as she released Amethyst, “Let’s finish this stupid thing so we can go back to bed.”


	19. Re-Fuse-Al

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I really hope Peridot had enough time to finish her machine in-between chapters.

“Just one more screw and...it’s done!”

Peridot held the device in the air triumphantly. It had taken several more hours of work than she’d care to admit, but it was finally done, and with any luck it would also prove to be functional. The machine resembled a dark blue pda, with a few buttons below its large screen with a few more on either side. By pressing one of said buttons, Peridot caused a small tray to eject from the top of the device. Peridot carefully dumped the remains of the shadow stone into it, and shut it back into the device with a loud click. The screen brightened up, showing a basic map of the Earth along with a marker to show the device’s location. Peridot grinned to herself as she watched her machine work.

“Now, all we have to do is wait for the tracker to do a planetary scan for the material Pearl entrusted me with, and we’ll be good to go!”

“If you could repeat all that in English, that'd be awesome.” Amethyst deadpanned.

“It looks around the Earth to find things we need to find.” Peridot sighed.

“Why didn’t you just say that in the first place you nerd?” Amethyst said with a gentle push.

“I was trying to articulate the device’s functions properly, you clod.” Peridot pushed back, unable to hold back a goofy smile.

The two gently nudged each other back and forth, silently grinning to one another as they did so. Neither knew why they kept it going, but both found it too amusing to stop. Amethyst accidentally shoved Peridot much harder than she meant to, send the green gem falling to the ground. Peridot attempted to grab onto Amethyst for support, but all she did was send her tumbling down as well. Amethyst threw her hands in front of herself as fast as she could, allowing her to end up holding herself above Peridot rather than body slamming her. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before suddenly bursting with laughter. The sounds of Amethyst laughter drowned out the rest of Peridot’s world, enveloping her in a unique feeling of happiness...until her eyes fell on Amethyst’s gem. Peridot stopped laughing as she gazed at it. It was dark, no light, no shine, not even an out of the ordinary glimmer. Peridot stared at it dejectedly, only snapping back to reality when Amethyst cleared her throat.

“You’re really not getting any better with the whole ‘subtlety’ thing.”

“What are you talking about?” Peridot sighed.

“Don’t play dumb with me, little miss gem-inspector.” Amethyst giggled.

Peridot simply rolled her eyes, too melancholy to even be annoyed. Amethyst moved off of her, sitting on the floor next to Peridot as the latter refused to move. She stared up at the empty ceiling, deep in depressed thought. Amethyst shook her gently as she tried to talk to her.

“What’s wrong? Did I break the thing?”

Peridot gave the device a quick once-over, “No, the device is fine. That wasn’t my concern.”

“Then what’s got you so down all of a sudden?”

“It’s just,” Peridot sat up, “last time we were in a situation like that, we fused.”

Amethyst looked down at her gem, “Oh yeah, you’re right.”

“Figures. First we do it on accident, now we can’t do it at all!” Peridot grumbled.

“Well, it’s alright,” Amethyst said as she grabbed Peridot’s hand, “we could always ask Garnet for help.”

“W-what?!” Peridot replied, mortified, “No! I can handle it myself!”

“She helped us last time, besides, she knows more about this than we do.”

“I...I know. It’s just frustrating.”

Amethyst gave Peridot a quick peck on the cheek before pulling the two of them from the floor, “Come on, we need to go give Pearl her tracking thing anyway.”

**************************************************************************************

Pearl fidgeted nervously as she paced back and forth. Her anxiety was beginning to get the better of her, not helped by watching Garnet and Steven zone out in front of the TV. Where in the world was Peridot? She was supposed to have finished building the machine by now! Pearl was couldn’t help but worry, especially because Amethyst was supposed to be “helping” to make it. Pearl’s eyes flickered back and forth between the temple and the front door. She wanted to start looking for the remaining artifacts right away, but she had no idea where to even start without some sort of tracking device. She tried to take solace in the fact that the unfound artifacts weren’t supposed to be as dangerous as the shadow stone was, but the creeping idea that her information was incorrect burned away any respite she may of found. The sound of the door creaking open nearly made her jump out of her skin.

“Is it finished?” Pearl asked quickly as Peridot and Amethyst entered.

“Finished and functional. Unfortunately, it’s still scanning the Earth, so we can’t use it yet.” Peridot replied, handing the tracker to Pearl.

“Well, better than nothing. Thank you, the both of you.”

Pearl walked away from the pair, staring intently at the tracking device’s bright screen. Peridot and Amethyst stood there awkwardly, exchanging small glances between themselves and Garnet. The silently argued with one another, neither one wanting to step forward. Amethyst finally walked towards the couch, neither one of its occupants seeming to notice her. Even if she was the one who suggested talking to Garnet, it was still embarrassing. She couldn’t help but feel like it was something simple that she was messing up, and even if it was something serious, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it. Amethyst finally spoke up.

“Uh...Garnet? Can I talk to you?”

“Of course Amethyst. What is it?” she replied, all three eyes locked on the TV.

“Peridot and I...need you help. We can’t fuse anymore.”

Garnet jumped up from her seat and spun her head around, nearly knocking the whole couch over in the process, “What?!”

“L-last time we did it, it was an accident, but we just had another accident like it and….nothing.” Amethyst yelped in shock.

Steven made his way over, “It didn’t work when you tried it on purpose either?”

Amethyst and Peridot took a long, disbelieving look at one another before simultaneously face-palming, “We uh...forgot to try the normal way.” Amethyst grumbled.

“Well, let’s go outside and make sure.” Garnet said adamantly.

Everyone went out the door and stood on the beach. The sun was beginning to dip behind the horizon, bathing the sand in an orange hue. Peridot and Amethyst faced each other, several feet of space between them. Amethyst started the dance, shaking her body to and fro and moving her limbs excitedly at her sides. Peridot tapped her foot in rhythm as she bobbed her head, attempting to find her own pace on par with Amethyst’s. The two kept this up for several minutes, the lack of light from their gems forcing a feeling of discouragement to hang over them both. In a fit of frustration, Peridot ran towards Amethyst, hoping they were synced enough to make up for the difference. Amethyst began running as well, stopping dead in her tracks with outstretched arms to catch her dance partner. Peridot leaped from the ground as hard as she could, running into Amethyst with a loud thud. The too hit the the sand, their bodies still very much separate. Garnet was standing over them before they could even stand up.

“Well. That didn’t work.” she said simply.

“Yeah, we noticed, thanks.” Peridot sighed.

“What’s wrong with us?” Amethyst asked as she stood.

“I can’t be too sure, it could be a lot of things. It could be as simple as you too not finding the right rhythm, but I fear it could be something much worse. Garnet replied solemnly.

“Might I make a suggestion?” Pearl chimed in, “It might be easier for you two to synchronize if you tried dancing that was a bit less...chaotic.”

Pearl picked Peridot up from the sand and positioned her alongside Amethyst. She turned them to face one another, only an inch or two of space separating them. She took Amethyst’s hands, guiding her to take hold of Peridot’s hips while Peridot held onto her shoulders. Pearl backed away as the two attempted to move. They took slow steps back, before taking another few forward. Amethyst took the lead, moving them a few paces to either side as they continued their dance. Peridot’s eyes flickered between Amethyst’s face and her gem, a noticeable blush decorating her face. 

“This is kinda nice.” Amethyst admitted.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s nice, we’re still us.” Peridot mumbled in frustration.

“Well we can’t exactly force it.” Amethyst whispered.

“Actually, I think we can.” Peridot whispered back.

“What are you talking about?”

“If we focus energy into our gems, we may be able to force our physical constructs to merge. Our movements are perfectly synchronized, the problem appears to be stemming from the lack of energy we’re giving off. If we just make it happen ourselves, it stands to reason that we could fuse that way.” Peridot explained.

“Well...if you think it will work.” Amethyst said nervously.

“Alright, just keep moving and focus.”

The two continued their slow dance as they began to build up their energy. They focused every ounce they could spare into their respective gems, not an easy feat while still feeling under the weather from the last time they fused. Their gems did indeed begin to glow, but it wasn’t the same warm glow they had been accustomed to. It was dark, barely coming off the surface of their bodies. They pressed their bodies up against one another tighter, focusing even more of their energy into their gems. The light began to shine brighter and brighter, until it enveloped roughly half of their bodies. Suddenly, the light burst, send the two flying apart in a purple and green fireworks display. Their gem’s had gone dark long before either of them hit the ground again.

“What are you two doing?! You can’t force it!” Garnet shouted.

Amethyst quickly sat up, “Garnet! W-we’re sorry! We were just trying to-”

Garnet held her hand up with a heavy sigh, “I was afraid of this. It appears that Ammolite’s breaking down has had a greater affect on you two than I thought.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were both still fused when she broke down. Normally, that isn’t a problem, a fusion’s physical form breaking down would simply allow you both ample opportunity to retreat to your gems. However, Ammolite broke down from the inside out. It seems you both have some sort of mental block, preventing you from fusing properly. I’m sorry.”

“No…” Peridot whispered.

“Peridot, I’m telling you the truth.”

“No..no! You’re wrong! I...we can…”

Peridot’s words trailed off, her tears leaving no room for her voice to come through. Peridot turned and ran, her legs moving as fast as they could down the beach. Hot tears of frustration flowed down her face as she continued her wild sprint. Ammolite’s form kept flashing in her eyes, and every time the image would disappear with a violent burst of flame. Peridot finally tripped, landing face first in the sand. She laid there, still crying and refusing to pick herself up. Her mind was drowning in feelings of frustration, anger, confusion, and guilt. A voice caught her attention.

“Come on Peri, don’t cry.”

Peridot picked her face up from the sand, “You...followed me?”

“Of course I did,” Amethyst said, “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

The two sat there in silence. Neither of them were okay, and they both knew it. Peridot picked herself up, wiping herself clean as she choked back more tears. Amethyst gazed out at the setting sun, its brilliant colors reflecting off the water’s surface. Amethyst body let out a blinding flash of light, settling once her attire had changed. She was wearing a two piece bathing suit, purple and covered in black stars. She gave Peridot a smile.

“Come on, let’s hop in.”

“W-what?” Peridot squawked, “Why?”

“Just trust me.”

Peridot quickly changed into her own bathing suit, although admittedly all she really did was change the material of her normal outfit and remove her socks. An onlooker probably wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference were it not for the large opening in the back. Amethyst jumped in the water, her powerful legs sending her almost out of Peridot’s sight. Peridot stood at the water’s edge nervously, unmoving until a shadow appeared overhead. A large purple hand had stretched out from the middle of the water, snatching Peridot up and dragging her through the air. Amethyst pulled Peridot to her as she floated on her back. Amethyst reverted her arm to normal size once Peridot joined her. Peridot clung to Amethyst’s body, resting her head on her chest as the two of them aimlessly floated. Amethyst gently kicked her feet to keep them moving as she gazed up at the twilight sky.

“Reminds me of old times.” Amethyst laughed.

The memories came flooding back to Peridot, “Yeah, it sure does.”

Amethyst held onto Peridot tight as she continued kicking, “I’m sorry this isn’t working. We’ll figure it out eventually.”

“It’s not your fault,” Peridot sighed, “It’s mine.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Think about it. You can fuse with Pearl, no problem. You can fuse with Garnet, no problem. It obviously isn’t you.”

“Trust me, me and Pearl can’t fuse as easy as you’d think. And I love Sugilite and everything, but she definitely isn’t a ‘no problem’ kinda person.”

“My point is, I’m the odd variable here. I refuse to let Purple Ammolite disappear like this! She was the best of both us, I can’t just...let her…”

Peridot buried her face into Amethyst’s chest as she began to sob again. Amethyst held Peridot as tight as she could, the cool water ebbing over them. Amethyst didn’t say anything, allowing Peridot to let her feelings out uninterrupted. She tried to enjoy the feeling of the water, but it would’ve been more pleasant if Peridot weren’t in so much pain. Amethyst was trying her best not to start crying alongside her, feeling a need to stay strong in this moment. She gave Peridot a kiss on the forehead once her weeping began to lull.

“It’s okay Peridot. I miss her too.”


	20. Questions & Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, this chapter was originally going to be called "We Need To Talk," but that's already a title of an actual Steven Universe episode! Completely forgot about that until recently. I actually like that one quite a bit. I'm rambling. Ignore me, the chapter's down here \/.

Amethyst zoned out on the couch with Steven, the images of another one of his strange cartoons blaring in front of her. Garnet and Pearl were sitting by the warp pad, preparing for the scanner to finish its preparations. Amethyst preferred to relax instead, knowing that she’d be less than thrilled when the time came to start searching again. Of course, it’d be easier to relax without the media ruining her faith in children’s programing. She never could get into any of the shows Steven liked to watch. She didn’t catch the title of whatever was on at the moment, but all she knew was that it was about a little girl being raised by three alien dads. What a stupid concept. Amethyst’s eyes flicked over to the clock every so often. Usually Peridot would’ve stopped over by now, and Amethyst was beginning to worry. After yesterday, she figured Peridot could use some space, a thought that gave her a little bit of respite. At least, until Lapis came through the door.

“Hi Lapis!” Steven saved excitedly.

“Hey Steven. Can I stay here for a while?” Lapis replied.

“Of course! But...why?”

“It’s Peridot. She’s acting even weirder than usual.”

Amethyst stood up, “What’s she doing?”

“She’s just sorta...sitting there. At first I was thankful for the peace and quiet but after a while it got kinda creepy. I tried to talk to her but it’s like she can’t even hear me.” Lapis explained.

“Uh oh.” Amethyst whispered.

Amethyst made her way towards the door. She knew she had to go see Peridot, to at least try to help her. She reached for the door and promptly froze up. The sounds of Peridot crying rang through her ears to a nearly deafening degree. The thought of seeing Peridot in some sort of deep depression put Amethyst’s stomach in knots. She didn’t want to see her like that, she couldn’t see her like that. Amethyst’s mind went blank. Even if she could face her like that, what would she even do? It’s not like she could just bring Ammolite back. Amethyst walked over to where Garnet and Pearl were.

“Guys, I need help,” she sighed, “what can I do to make Peridot feel better?”

“You know her better than any of us do, I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Pearl said.

“I know but a suggestion or two would still help. Garnet, what do Ruby and Saphire do for each other when one of them is sad?”

Garnet took a glance towards the other part of the house, confirming to herself that Steven was still there, “I can’t say.”

Amethyst buried her face in her hands with a dejected sigh. Amethyst hated herself for not rushing to Peridot’s side. She knew that Peridot would be doing whatever she could to try and help her, but Amethyst couldn’t bring herself to see her. She felt like a failure. First she almost gets them killed, then she can’t fuse, and now she couldn’t even help her girlfriend. Amethyst could feel the familiar sting of tears building in her eyes. The feeling of a hand on her shoulder made her look up.

“Look,” Garnet said, “I know it hurts. Seeing someone you love in rough shape isn’t something anyone wants. But she needs you. I’m sure just you being there will make her feel better.”

“You really think so?”

“I do.” Garnet smiled.

“Alright,” Amethyst said with a deep breath, “I gotta go.”

Amethyst turned and bolted out the door. She wasn’t exactly confident about being able to help Peridot, but she was still willing to try, at least after a small pep talk. She couldn’t help but laugh as she continued her trek towards the barn. She still had no idea what she was going to do or say once she got there, but winging it was Amethyst’s strong suit. Even if she did come up with a plan, she probably would end up deviating from it. After a few minutes of walking, the barn was in her sight. The door was open just a crack. Amethyst peeked inside before making her presence known.

Peridot was lying on top of her hay pile, which she appeared to have fashioned into a makeshift bed. A sheet was draped over the pile, and a blanket over Peridot. She was motionless aside from an occasional breath. Amethyst sighed with relief, she was just sleeping! That would explain why she was being so quiet. A new question formed in her mind. Why didn’t Peridot just come to her? At least then she’d be sleeping in a real bed.

“I hope she doesn't think I’m mad at her or something.” Amethyst whispered to herself.

Amethyst stepped into the barn, gingerly closing the door behind her. She tiptoed over to Peridot, desperately trying to keep herself quiet. Her eyes scanned the floor as she moved. Her dictionary was open and face down in the corner, next to the bag of sodas Amethyst had brought over some time ago. Empty cans littered the space around it. Amethyst found herself standing next to Peridot’s hay pile, when a piece of paper next to Peridot’s head caught her eye. Amethyst picked it up and inspected it, at least as best as she could. Some of it was in english, some of it was gem writing, and the rest were scientific equations she couldn’t begin to understand. The only part she could really make out was a crude diagram scribbled out towards the bottom, a triangle labeled “P” and a circle labeled “A” with arrows pointing at one another. The sound of the paper crinkling in Amethyst's hands jolted Peridot awake.

“Amethyst! W-what are you doing here?” she stammered.

“Lapis came by and said you were freaking her out. I figured I oughta come check on you. What’s this?” Amethyst replied, holding out the paper.

Peridot quickly snatched the paper from her, “Oh it’s nothing. Just a theory I was working on about our fusion situation, I think I can fix it!”

“Peridot-”

“If our problem comes from some sort of mental block, then I figure all we have to do is fuse in our sleep! Can’t be stressed if you’re asleep!”

“Peridot I don’t think-”

“I know I know It isn’t perfect, how would we synchronize? I’m still trying to figure that out, that’s why I’ve converted this hay pile into something more attributed to sleeping. I wanted it all done before I showed you anything, I’m sorry I fell asleep instead of finishing I just got stuck and I-”

“PERIDOT!”

Peridot’s eyes went wide as her voice stopped. Amethyst gave her a silent once-over. Peridot had huge bags under her eyes, and her hair was a wreck. (Well, by Peridot’s standards anyway.) Her hands were shaking as she held the paper, and she glanced another way whenever Amethyst tried to lock eyes with her. She looked exhausted. She looked sad. She looked...terrified.

“Peridot,” Amethyst said placing a hand on Peridot’s shoulder, “what’s going on with you?”

“I-I-I told you! I’m trying to figure out how to get us fused again! I probably should have told you what I was thinking beforehand, but I wanted to surprise you! I’m sorry I don’t have it fixed yet, I understand if you’re upset with me but I just need more-”

“Peridot.”

“Y-yes?” Peridot squealed.

“Are you mad at me for not being able to fuse with you?”

“W-what? Of course not!”

“Then why would you think I was mad at you for the same thing?”

Peridot froze. She looked down at the paper in her hands for a silent moment before snapping. She tore the paper up, ripping it with her hands and teeth until the space around her was littered with paper scraps. She looked down at the mess she made with a defeated look. She took one last glance at Amethyst before cupping her hands over her face. Amethyst pulled her into a hug, her stomach doing flips at the thought of Peridot breaking down again. Peridot let out a few strained sobs before talking again.

“I just don’t want us to fight again.” she said in a hoarse whisper.

“What do you mean?”

“The last time I messed up, it got really, really bad. If I mess up again I’m afraid you’re gonna...give up on me. I don’t want to fail you again.”

“What?! I would never give up on you! It isn’t your fault, none of it is!”

“Yes it is! Can’t you see that?! You can fuse with any other gem just fine, it’s only me causing problems! That’s why I need to fix it!”

“Peridot you need to calm down.”

“I don’t wanna calm down! I need to fix this or...or…”

Peridot dropped to her knees and started bawling. Her entire body was trembling, either unable or unwilling to hold itself up anymore. Amethyst sat and the floor next to her and put an arm around Peridot. She pulled her close to her, the sound of Peridot’s crying making it hard for her not to sob herself. Amethyst sighed heavily before attempting to cut in.

“Peridot. I’m not mad at you, we’ll figure it out. We’ll get her back somehow.”

“What if we don’t?!” Peridot cried.

“Well then...that’s okay. We still have each other.”

Peridot looked back up, “Yeah...I know.”

“And by the way, you never failed me. We both messed up during that whole fight. I’m sorry.”

“So am I.”

“I love you, and I don’t want you to feel like you’re gonna lose me. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I love you too. I don’t think I’m used to all this love stuff yet,” Peridot admitted sheepishly, “the most I ever got from Homeworld was conditional praise. It’s a bit overwhelming.”

“It’s okay,” Amethyst laughed, “you’re learning. Come on, let’s go do something fun to cheer you up.”

Peridot didn’t give a vocal response. She looked up at Amethyst before turning towards her makeshift bed. Her expression was uneasy, she obviously wanted to say something, but couldn’t spit it out. Amethyst smiled at her.

“Maybe we should just relax first, fun later. Sound good?”

Peridot nodded weakly. Amethyst scooped her up and carried her over to her hay pile. Amethyst laid Peridot down in it before climbing in next to her, throwing the blanket over the both. The sheet actually made it comfortable, although the question of where Peridot got it or the blanket was still up in the air. Peridot clung to Amethyst, shivering slightly as her warmth enveloped her. Peridot wrapped her limbs around Amethyst’s body as tight as she could, resting her face on her chest with a happy sigh. Amethyst propped on of her hands behind her head, keeping the other on Peridot’s back. Amethyst smiled at her, the stress seemingly melting from her face. Amethyst had a feeling it wasn’t going to be that simple however. Even though she really didn’t want to, she pushed the issue further.

“Peridot, we’re only gonna fix this if we do it together.”

“I know that,” Peridot grumbled, “it’s just...I’m supposed to be useful! I’m supposed to be knowledgeable! That’s what Peridot’s are for!”

“Hey!” Amethyst snapped, “You’re not a Peridot anymore remember? You’re just Peridot. More importantly, you’re my Peridot.”

“Amethyst…” Peridot squeaked, her eyes beginning to well up again.

“Look, from now on just take it easy. We’ll figure out the whole fusion thing when we can. But for now,” she paused to steal a kiss, “let’s just chill.”

“R-right! Chill. Got it.” Peridot replied, trying to keep herself together.

Peridot laid her head back down, taking in a few slow breaths. Biologically unnecessary, but oddly comforting. Her entire body moved as she took bigger and bigger breaths, trying to push the stress out of her mind. Amethyst looked down at her. It was almost painful to watch. Amethyst opened her mouth to speak, but quickly snapped it shut again. What if she made everything worse? Amethyst felt bad enough as it was, the thought of making the entire situation spiral out of control made her paranoid and anxious. Amethyst gently rubbed her hand along Peridot’s back, the latter responding by quieting her breaths. The tension hung in the air like a bad smell. Both had so much they needed to say, but nothing they wanted to say. Finally, Peridot spoke up.

“How sure are you we can get her back?”

“Pretty sure. Rose always used to say that love could help people get through anything. At first I thought she was full of it but...lately it’s starting make more sense.”

A wide smile spread across Peridot’s face, “Yeah, I think she’s right.”

“See?” Amethyst smiled, “It’s nothing to worry about!”

“I guess you’re right, I’ll figure out a way to fix this in no time! ...With your help of course. I’m just disheartened that I won’t be able to participate in combat anymore.”

“You’re still trying to figure out your powers, I’m sure you’ll be able to fight on your own soon.” Amethyst reassured her.

“I’m not even supposed to have powers, it’s illogical! But...I suppose if there’s anything I’ve learned on this planet, it’s that the logical explanation isn’t always correct.”

“You’re such a nerd,” Amethyst chuckled before catching a draft, “why is it so cold in here?”

“I don’t know!” Peridot shouted in frustration, “For days now it’s been getting colder and colder! At first I thought this planet was finally driving me insane, but then Lazuli starting complaining about it too!”

Amethyst crooked her head up and looked towards the door. A few dead brown leaves sat on the floor in front of it. Amethyst dropped her head with a chuckled “Oh duh. It’s almost fall.”

“Fall?”

“Yeah, remember that big party Greg told us about? It happens when the seasons change. Fall comes after summer, when it starts to get colder  
Then eventually it starts to snow.” 

“What is this ‘snow’”? Peridot inquired.

“It’s kinda like rain but...solid. And colder.” Amethyst explained awkwardly.

“Interesting. What happens after the snow?”

“Well after a while, it melts, then it gets warm again.”

“So, it’s a cycle?”

“Pretty much. Stuff like this didn’t happen on Homeworld?”

“The sky was always clear on Homeworld. It wasn’t bright and blue like it is here, but it never rained or snowed. Homeworld doesn’t even have air.” Peridot explained.

Peridot nuzzled her face against Amethyst’s chest, closing her eyes with a smile. Amethyst breathed a small sigh of relief at the sight. She looked so content, so peaceful. Amethyst’s mind retraced their entire conversation. It wasn't much, just mindless smalltalk. But it seemed to have a positive effect at least. A warm feeling flowed through Amethyst’s body. Maybe it was a sense of satisfaction at seeing Peridot so relaxed, or maybe it was a feeling that she had more comforting to do, but Amethyst wanted to talk more. She needed to talk more, even if it was about nothing.

“You’re so cute.” Amethyst smirked.

“I know.”

‘I mean, you’ve been freaking out for days, I tell you some stuff about snow, and now you’re fine.” Amethyst laughed.

Peridot opened her eyes and looked back up, “This planet is still very strange to me. Learning about it makes me feel...safer.”

“That makes sense I guess. What do you wanna know?”

Peridot put her head back down. She was silent for a moment, deep in thought. “What is the point of a ‘party’?”

“It’s just for fun. People usually do it to celebrate, like when something good happens in that weird camping show you like and you start cheering and jumping all over the place.”

“But if this cycle you were talking about earlier happens all the time, why bother celebrating?”

“Ohhh that party. That one’s more of an excuse to get smashed one last time before it gets cold.”

“People are assaulting each other?!” Peridot screeched.

“No no! God I need to teach you slang. They’re getting drunk and dancing and stuff. I don’t like the booze, but parties are usually pretty fun. They’re just mindless fun. Well, usually.”

“That...sounds pleasant. When is this, ‘party’ taking place?”

“In a few days,” Amethyst sat up to glare down at Peridot, “but listen, you need to promise me you’re not gonna touch any booze. That crap makes people do weird stuff.”

“I promise I will not come in contact with any..erm..’booze’.” Peridot sputtered.

“Alright good, and if all the noise and people starts to get overwhelming, just tell me and I’ll take you home. Okay?”

“Are you kidding? With all those humans in one place, I’ll have the entirety of Earth figured out in one night! Humans may be primitive, but they are useful for obtaining information.”

“Peridot,” Amethyst laughed, “I’m not sure you’re gonna learn anything worthwhile.”

“Regardless, this will still be an ample opportunity to test out my ability to co-mingle with humans, besides Steven. If I’m going be living here permanently, it would behoove me to become acquainted with the dominant species.”

Peridot continued to prattle on, all sorts of ideas and expectations of the party pouring from her mouth. Peridot was brimming with excitement, something that came as a surprise to Amethyst. It was almost like Ammolite was never an issue, all Peridot seemed to care about was going to party and having fun. Amethyst looked into Peridot’s shining eyes, a weight lifting from her shoulders. Watching Peridot fret filled Amethyst with guilt, fear, sorrow and a whole host of other feelings she couldn’t describe. But lying there, seeing Peridot so happy and enthusiastic made her awash with new emotions. It was warm and comforting. It was energizing, it made her entire body feel like it was soaring on a balmy cloud. It was pure, it was enlightening.

It was love.

Amethyst could finally feel the shackles of guilt and burden being thrown off. She had felt love for Peridot for quite some time, but now she could feel something else on top of it. It was almost familiar, something she hadn’t felt since Rose passed. It was the feeling of another person’s love, the feeling of someone enjoying her presence. But it wasn’t exactly the same. It wasn't a motherly love like Rose’s, it was Peridot’s. Peridot didn’t blame her for what happened. Peridot wanted to be with her, and she was happy to stay with her. 

Amethyst wrapped her arms around Peridot, causing her to stop mid-sentence. She pulled her into a kiss, hugging her tight as she did. Peridot pulled away, probably to say something, only to get another kiss before any words could form. Amethyst held her there, enamored by the feeling of Peridot’s body in her arms. The two laid there, kissing in the hay pile as the rest of the world tuned itself out. They finally pulled away, enraptured by one another’s existence.

“I love you Peridot.” Amethyst sang.

“I-I love you too, m-my Amethyst.” Peridot blushed.

“So, you wanna go do something fun?”

Peridot looked around the empty barn before snuggling back up to Amethyst, “No. This is perfect.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”


	21. Down And Dirty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As much as I hate to admit it, work comes before parties. Of course, when you have a job that involves fighting monsters all day, you'd be forgiven for grumbling about it a little bit.

It was around noon when Greg’s van pulled up. Steven ran outside, his eyes shining like stars as he got closer to the vehicle. Greg hopped out of the driver's seat and opened up the back, retrieving four large blue coolers. He stacked them up and walked towards the house, trying his best to keep steady He cracked a smile as he saw his son running towards him. 

“Hey there kiddo.”

“Hi Dad!” Steven cheered, “Do you need help?”

“Yeah, I got some more coolers in the back, wanna grab ‘em for me?”

“Sure thing!”

Steven quickly ran around to the back of the van and retrieved his four coolers, each one a bright red. Him and his father quickly ran their containers inside, setting them down on the kitchen floor. Greg walked over to the fridge and pulled out two large bags, replacements he had gotten after Amethyst stole his last bag of soda. Throwing open the ice filled coolers, he started tossing soda cans into the blue coolers. Steven aided him as they made small talk.

“Are these for the big party tomorrow night?” Steven asked.

“They sure are! Are you gonna be there?”

“Yeah! Me and Connie are going together!” Steven said excitedly.

“That’s pretty sweet,” Greg laughed, “you remember the big rule about this party right?”

“Don’t touch the red coolers?” Steven guessed.

“That’s right. You might be half-gem, but you’re still a minor. Don’t worry though, the blue coolers will have plenty of soda for you and the other kids.”

“This party’s gonna be awesome!” Steven laughed as he filled one of the coolers.

“The set-up isn’t as awesome, let me tell you. I got a bunch more coolers I gotta fill, the whole town’s gonna be there after all. You wanna come help your old man for a while?” Greg asked.

“Yeah sure I-”

Steven was cut off by a beam of light erupting from the warp pad. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl stepped off of it. Pearl gripped the tracking device in an anxious hand, a loud beeping sound coming from it. Amethyst plowed through the door, running out of sight in an instant. Pearl hurriedly made her way over to Steven.

“Steven! The device has finally picked up the location of the next artifact! We need to go retrieve it.” Pearl explained.

“Oh uh...okay Pearl! Sorry Dad, gotta go!”

Steven quickly jumped onto the warp pad. Garnet stood next to him, the only one seemingly calm about the whole situation. She glanced down at him, giving him a small smile and a thumbs up. Amethyst came running back into the house, holding a thrashing Peridot under her arm.

“I agreed to go on the mission why won’t you put me down?!” Peridot protested.

“This is faster.” Amethyst said as she set her down.

“Alright team,” Pearl began, “we have to-”

“Wait! Hold up a sec!” Amethyst interrupted as she ran into the temple.

“Amethyst, really?!” Pearl shouted.

Amethyst came running back out with a large bag over her shoulder, “Alright, keep going.”

“Never mind, I’ll explain on the way.” Pearl huffed as they all warped away.

Greg watched the beam of light fade away. He turned his attention back to the fridge, the mental image of his only child being whisked away on another potentially dangerous mission. It was with a dejected sigh that he began to speak.

“Great. Now I have to pack up all the soda by myself.”

**************************************************************************************

A bright white light burst from the warp pad. The gems found themselves in the middle of a dense jungle, far away from Beach city. Humid, heavy air cloaked their bodies, making almost any kind of movement sweat-inducing. Steven wheezed and heaved, struggling to pull the tropical air into his lungs. Once Pearl managed to calm him down enough to control his breathing, they set out. Pearl held the tracking device in one hand, holding a spear to the sky in front of her as she led the way. She cast a projection with her gem, showing an image of a large humanoid figure.

“As I was saying before, the tracker that Peridot built discovered the location of the second artifact, the golem.” Pearl began.

“What’s a golem?” Steven huffed between labored breaths.

“It’s a sentient being formed from stone. From what I have found, the controller of the shadow stone used these as personal guards, although there only seems to be one left.”

“Rock soldiers? How unoriginal.” Peridot sneered.

“Creative or not, it could be very dangerous. The golems were created using powerful magic energy, meaning that it could still very well be active.” Pearl explained.

“Even if this thing is still walking around, we’re just gonna smash it!” Amethyst roared.

“What I’m trying to tell you is that it might not be that simple!” Pearl said exasperatedly, “There could have been dozens of these things at one point, the fact that this one survived could mean that it’s more powerful than the others!”

“Don’t worry Pearl, we can handle it.” Steven said, trying his best to sound reassuring.

The gems trekked through the jungle, the sounds of nature downing out their thoughts. Garnet and Steven stuck with Pearl upfront, whilst Amethyst and Peridot walked a ways behind them. Peridot’s nerves were making it hard to keep walking. The thought of having to fight without Ammolite as a backup plan wasn’t exactly filling her with confidence. The image of the shadow stone’s dark copies flashed in her mind, the idea of not being able to fuse then making her shudder. Her thoughts were interrupted by Amethyst’s voice.

“Here, I got his for you.” she said, handing Peridot her bag.

Peridot opened it, finding it to be filled to the brim with scrap, “What is all this?”

“I found a bunch of old metal junk in my room. I broke it all so it would be sharp, you know, so you could use your powers on it.”

Peridot tied the bag and slung it over her shoulder with a smile, “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Amethyst smirked, taking a hold of Peridot’s free hand.

“I just hope it will be enough,” Peridot lamented, “Pearl’s making this thing sound incredibly dangerous.”

“Eh, don’t sweat it too much. Pearl freaks out about everything remember?”

“Even so, Peridot’s aren't built for fighting. I’m concerned that-”

“Hey!” Amethyst snapped, “It doesn’t matter what you were ‘built’ for, you can do whatever you want. I believe in you.”

“You...do?” Peridot blushed.

“Of course I do! I wouldn’t want you coming with us if I didn’t.”

“I just figured you wanted someone to talk to.”

“Well...that part is nice too.” Amethyst laughed.

The group continued their journey through the dense jungle. The humid air bogged them down, the thick underbrush tripping their feet. Birds shrieked overhead, paralyzing Peridot with fear until the others explained the noises to her. The tracking device beeped louder and louder with each passing minute, signaling the closing gap between them and their goal. Eventually they came to a large clearing. In front of them the ground sloped downwards, forming a large dirt pit. No grass of plants grew in it, all that remained was soft, cool soil. The group awkwardly stumbled down into it, the tracking device beeping madly. 

“Pearl, I don’t want to pick the story apart, but how on earth would a giant rock monster fit in the tiny treasure chest we found?” Steven asked.

“That’s a good question Steven.” Pearl replied. Her face took on a look of deep contemplation for a moment, before snapping into an expression of terror, “Oh no.”

“What’s wrong Pearl?”

“I think I may have just realized why this one stayed standing longer than the others.” Pearl replied as she created another projection.

She created an image of a large sphere, roughly 13 inches in diameter. It was decorated with odd runes, similar to the ones the shadow stone once bore. The runes flashed with light occasionally, ebbing several inches from the orb’s surface. The image rotated slowly as Pearl began to explain its significance. 

“Spheres like these were used to create the golems. There were only a small handful, however the golems could use materials around them to create an army's worth of weaker golems.”

“So the guards could...make more guards?” Steven asked.

“Essentially, yes. We need to find the orb quickly, and hope that it isn’t still active.”

“Is that it over there?” Amethyst asked pointing dead ahead of them.

In the very center of the dirt sat a dull red sphere, perched atop a pile of boulders. The group ran over to it, hopeful that their mission would be over soon. Suddenly, bright runes of light appeared on the spheres exterior. The rocks it sat upon began to float around it. They positioned themselves around the sphere as if they had a mind of their own, eventually forming a humanoid figure nearly 9 feet in height. The gems stopped in their tracks, the statue motionless. The statues eyes lit up, a pair of eerie blue lights in the place of proper eyes. Despite having no mouth, it let out an ear-piercing roar as a warning to the intruders. The gems readied their weapons and charged the unnatural being. The golem swatted at them with one hulking arm, sending the entire group flying backwards. They quickly jumped back to their feet, readying themselves for another attack. However, the monster did not move. It sat still, watching them with eyes like a flickering flame. 

“Why did it stop?” Amethyst growled.

“I’m not sure. It could be that the orb powering it is low on energy, perhaps it can’t function properly?” Pearl guessed.

“At any rate, this monstrosity is too strong for us to fight head on. And for that reason,” Peridot said as she emptied her bag of metal, “I propose we attack it from a distance!”

With a wave of her hand, Peridot lifted the scrap pieces high into the sky. Dozens of sharp, jagged objects surrounded her, aimed towards the lumbering creature. Peridot sent them flying forward, soaring through the air at a breakneck speed. The golem did not move, watching the projectiles with an almost intrigued look. The golem’s eyes shone bright, the orb in its chest glowing in time with them. A large billow of dirt shot up from the ground, stopping the metal in mid air. The remnants of Peridot’s attack fell harmlessly into the soil. The golem looked around at the dirt, seemingly confused by the action. It raised its stone hands, slamming them together with tremendous force. Dirt began to rise, forming roughly a dozen humanoid shapes, similar to the golem itself, albeit smaller. The golem looked on at its new army before turning its gaze back to the gems.

“That...did not go as planned.” Peridot sighed.

“Looks like we’re going to have to take care of his buddies first.” Amethyst said with a crack of her whip.

“Gems, move!” Garnet commanded.

Garnet and Pearl jumped towards the dirt army, swinging at them as hard as they could. The soldiers moved with surprising speed, dodging each of their attacks with ease. Pearl’s spear barely glanced the surface of a single enemy, causing it to tumble backwards. Another dirt golem caught it before it fell, shoving towards Pearl with vicious strength. The thrown soldier shoved its arms forward, effectively tackling Pearl to the ground. Garnet flung her fists wildly, futilely attempting to make contact with the enemies in front of her. She wound up and threw a punch as hard as she could, only to find her arm being grabbed by a dirt golem. The golem yanked her as hard as it could, sending her to the ground. The rest of the team watched on in shock.

“Aw man! They’re getting creamed!” Amethyst hissed, “What do we do?”

Peridot spoke in a strained manner, attempting to locate and pick up her improvised weapons with her powers, “Attack them...while they’re busy...beating up...friends.”

Amethyst swung her whip over her head, bringing it down atop the golem that had pinned Pearl. The whip slashed across the creature’s back, splitting it in half. The monster’s body crumbled, returning to its natural, lifeless state. Amethyst quickly swung towards Garnet, slicing the arm of her captor. Garnet immediately took a pot shot at the nearest golem, obliterating it with a single punch. Steven grabbed his shield and threw it as if it were a frisbee, slicing through soldier after soldier, leaving only a few that saw the attack coming still standing. The stone golem wasn’t giving up however, it continued to create minion after minion with it’s titanic supply of dirt.

“No wonder they’re trying so hard to run away,” Steven painted, “these guys are barely solid, they’re just packed up dirt!”

Steven’s somewhat late deduction was punctuated by the appearance of shadow looming overhead. There were several of them, each one varying in length and size. When he looked up, he saw several pieces of scrap floating above him, each one pointed downward. He turned back around and saw Peridot, one hand held high with a drained look on her face. 

“You guys go for the leader,” Peridot coughed, “I’ll take care of these...clods!”

Peridot threw her hand down, sending a flurry of metal raining down. The knife-like missiles tore threw the opposition, destroying each soldier in only a few seconds each. The stone golem attempted to create more, but each one was decimated by another round of Peridot’s wrathful downpour. The other gems attempted to fight the golem head on, but found each strike parried by its stone limbs. Amethyst coiled a whip around the creature's body, pulling it as hard as she could. The creature flew into the air, landing directly on top of her with a massive thud. Amethyst’s muffled scream was barely audible. 

“Amethyst!” Peridot called.

Peridot redirected her attack. She sent every piece of metal she had directly into the creature’s back, attempting to destroy it as she did with its minions. Each piece stuck into the stone, packed to tightly for her to remove. Eventually she had no more metal left, but the creature hadn’t budged an inch. Amethyst kicked and struggled, but could not attack the creature whilst half-buried in dirt. Peridot had one last idea. She attempted to move the metal, to seemingly no avail. Every last piece was nearly bonded to the golem, causing them to simply rattle around gently with Peridot’s every effort. She raised both hands to the air, desperately attempting to pull them free. It almost felt as if she was trying to lift metric tons of weight, rather than a simple few pounds of scrap. She could feel her energy draining away, her legs beginning to shake. Finally, the metal began to move, taking the creature along with it. With all the extra weight, it was a slow process. Peridot had never felt something so heavy before, the creature moving weakly above the ground as Peridot used up the last bit of her energy.

“Peridot, over here!” Garnet called.

Peridot did her best to throw the monster, although at best it would be called a weak toss. Garnet leaped forward, striking the orb in the golem’s chest with every ounce of her strength. The orb shattered, causing the golem to violently explode. Pieces of charred rock and metal soared threw the air for miles. The gems celebrated their victory as Peridot fell face-first into the dirt.

“Peridot, that was amazing!” Steven laughed.

“Is..is Amethyst okay?” Peridot asked, her voice trembling as much as her body.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Amethyst said as she pulled herself from the dirt.

“Good work team, now we’ve only got one left to go!” Pearl said proudly, “Although we do have its location, it’s quite far from any warp pads we have immediate access to. It’s probably going to take me a few days to plan out an efficient way to get to it.”

“Fine by me,” Amethyst said as she scooped Peridot up off the ground, “Me and Peri have a party tomorrow night anyway. Right Peri?”

“Yay...party...woo…!” the half conscious Peridot replied.

The gems climbed out of the dirt trap and began to make their way home. Pearl once again took the lead, with Garnet and Steven staying close to her side. Amethyst attempted to keep up, but tried her best to keep her walking balanced whilst carrying Peridot. She carefully stepped over roots and rocks, paranoid that she was going to drop her. 

“I told you that you could do it.” Amethyst said with a kiss.

“Do...you have any more….metal stuff?” Peridot asked sleepily, her mind off somewhere else.

“Probably. Wanna help me look when we get home?”

“Maybe later...need...sleep….” Peridot said weakly before passing out.

Amethyst looked down at her sleeping form, the sound of Peridot’s light snoring already filling the space around her. She gave her another peck on her forehead before putting her focus back into walking. She couldn’t help but steal glances down at the gem in her arms however, whether it was out of concern or simple amusement. She gave a quiet chuckle as Peridot feel into a deeper and deeper sleep.

“Thanks for saving me back there, you dweeb.”


	22. Partydot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the moment we've all been waiting for!

“Aww, you guys really can’t come with us?” Steven whined.

“I’m sorry Steven, but Garnet and I have to continue our scouting mission. But please promise me you’ll be careful tonight.” Pearl replied.

“Don’t worry, I will!” Steven said with starry eyes.

The door let out a loud creak as Amethyst threw it open, Peridot at her side, “Come on Steven! It’s party time!”

Steven excitedly ran out the door. Bright, shining stars illuminated the sky overhead as he, Amethyst, and Peridot began their walk down to the beach. Even though the stars were bright, the scene down at the beach was even brighter. Bright beams of light flashed from all over the beach, almost acting as a homing beacon for the entire town. The sand was littered with colorful tents and tables. The sound of people partying reverberated for miles on end. It was almost surreal, it seemed as if the dark, serene area around Steven’s house and the bright, lively party were two nations separated by an invisible border. Connie came running when she saw Steven and the others coming.

“You guys made it!” she cheered.

“We sure did!” Steven laughed, “This is going to be amazing! Right guys?”

Peridot eyed the festivities with a confused glance, “I thought this was some sort of social gathering. What are all these tents for?”

“Those are for games!” Connie answered eagerly, “They’re super fun! Come on, let’s go play a few!”

Steven and Connie sprinted off into the fog of lights and sound. Peridot gave Amethyst an inquisitive glance before turning back towards where the humans once stood. Amethyst simply snickered and grabbed Peridot’s hand, leading her into the chaos. The party certainly wasn’t what Peridot was expecting. The beach seemed to be divided into three sections. One held the tents, one had a large sound system that was blaring music, and the last one didn’t seem to have much of anything at all. All that was there was a few chairs and a few people, all sitting around and talking. Of course, Peridot was stuck in the first section for the time being. Amethyst half dragged her through the crowd as Peridot’s eyes jumped all over the spectacle that she found herself in. Dozens of humans, all yelling and laughing. From most other perspectives, it would’ve been horrifying. Amethyst’s voice snapped Peridot back into reality.

“Here.” she said, thrusting a bright orange can towards her.

“Oh..thanks. Where did you get this from?”

“There’s coolers all over the place. I think there’s tables with snacks and stuff on them further down, but I promised Steven and Connie I’d help them with some weird game, so it’s gonna have to wait.” Amethyst explained before running off again.

Peridot attempted to follow her, but found herself turned around in the crowd. She nervously sipped her soda as the flood of people flowed around her. It was almost odd to look at. Everyone was moving, but at the same time, almost everyone she could see was still. Fixated with a tent or a conversation they were having. This is what humans do for fun? It seemed relatively harmless, if a bit crowded. What was Amethyst so worried about?

“There she is!” Steven’s voice echoed through the crowd.

Steven ran up to Peridot, Connie and Amethyst in tow, “Where have you three been?”

“Sorry Peri, I thought you were following me. But check out what we got!” Amethyst laughed.

Peridot took a closer look. Each one of them was wearing a large button with cartoonish lettering. Steven’s said ‘Cool Dude,’ Connie’s said ‘Book Worm,’ and Amethyst’s said ‘Purple Puma.’ Peridot was only sure about what one of those statements even meant. 

“That’s...interesting.” Peridot said slowly.

“Yeah! There’s a tent where you can make your own button that says whatever you want! Amethyst even got one for you!” Steven said excitedly.

“She did?”

“Sure did,” Amethyst said with a stifled laugh, “here ya go.”

Peridot smiled as she took the button from Amethyst’s hand. Her smile soured a bit when she took a look at what was written on it.

‘PROFESSIONAL GEM INSPECTOR’ in capitalized bubble letters.

Peridot let out a dejected sigh as she pinned it to the front of her leotard, “Thanks...just...thanks.”

“No problem.” Amethyst said with a goofy grin.

Steven and Connie ran off, promising to meet up with the gems later. Amethyst showed Peridot too all sorts of different tents. Some of them were games, and some were odd services such as fortune telling or weight guessing. Amethyst referred to the people running them as ‘carnies’ and told Peridot to stay away from them. Amethyst looked like she was having the time of her life playing these silly games. Peridot was...less than impressed. At least, until one tent caught her eye. Sitting inside it was a dunk tank, with a large man sitting inside of it. A few humans were lined up, tossing balls at a target attached to its side. Peridot turned to Amethyst.

“What’s the point of this?”

“Oh that? You’re supposed to hit the target and knock the guy sitting there into the water.” Amethyst explained.

“Lapis would probably get a kick out of that,” Peridot chuckled to herself, “but I’ve seen several people hit the target and that human hasn’t budged.”

“Some of these games are kinda rigged. I wouldn’t wanna get dunked either. Mr.Smiley over there probably lost a bet.”

Peridot walked over to the tank. Mr.Smiley was perched above the water, laughing a boisterous laugh. He taunted the patrons, goading them on to keep throwing to their hearts content. Peridot picked up a ball and handed it to Amethyst.

“Here. You’re stronger than I am, so-”

“What’s wrong shortie? Making your little girlfriend do all the work for you?” Mr.Smiley laughed.

The man’s good-natured ribbing didn’t sit well with Peridot, “What did you just say?!” she bellowed.

“You heard me! You wanna dunk me, throw it yourself!” he taunted.

Peridot wound up and chucked the ball as hard as she could. It sailed past the target, hitting the back of the tent instead. Mr.Smiley burst into a fit of uproarious laughter at the sight. He barely noticed Peridot raising a hand towards him. With a flick of her wrist, Peridot snapped the metal chair he sat on, sending him quickly downwards into the water below. He flailed and swore as Amethyst grabbed Peridot and ran.

“I can’t believe you just did that!” Amethyst laughed once they finally stopped.

“Hey, that clod had it coming! Why he’s lucky i didn’t...uh…”

Peridot’s thoughts were interrupted by the oddity she saw in front of her. The first thing she noted was that Amethyst's earlier statement was correct, there were tables in the section past the tents, along with a few more coolers. That however, was not what she was gawking it. In the large clearing of beach there were a fairly large group of humans, all dancing wildly to deafening music. Peridot gave Amethyst a side glance.

“Are they...trying to fuse?”

“Nah. Humans dance for fun.”

“For fun? Really?” Peridot asked disbelievingly.

“Come on, I’ll show you!”

Amethyst pulled Peridot onto the impromptu dance floor. Amethyst began to dance, moving her body in time with the bombastic tune. Her arms pumped into the air as her core shook and her hair flew. Peridot attempted to keep up, the wild movements not coming as naturally to her. She kept her eyes focused one Amethyst’s gem as she attempted to mimic her movements. She tried to steady herself as the memories of their accidental fusions came back to her. Perhaps...it could happen again? She found herself not paying attention to her own movements, completely focused on what Amethyst was doing. It was only after a few minutes of futiley staring at Amethyst’s dull gem did the realization hit her.

They weren’t going to fuse, no matter how hard she tried.

Peridot resigned herself and attempted to walk away, only to be caught by the hand. Amethyst pulled her back with a playful look, still keeping her body moving to the beat behind her. Peridot attempted to move away, but Amethyst would simply step towards her again, moving as if she was going to catch her again. Peridot watched as Amethyst continued to dance, almost perfectly in time with the blaring music. She wasn’t sure why, but Peridot found herself picking up the beat as well. She was still trying to get past Amethyst, no doubt. But she would do so while keeping her foot tapping or her head bobbing, as if it would give her some sort of advantage. Amethyst seemed to be enjoying this, giggling to herself as Peridot tried to pass by. Peridot finally leaped to one side as the song hit its climax, tripping over Amethyst’s foot in the process. Amethyst quickly caught her, stealing a kiss before lightly tossing her back in front of her. Peridot looked back at her, surprised and a tad frustrated. At least, she was at first until she realized how ridiculous she must’ve looked this entire time. Peridot burst into a laughing fit as a new song began to play. After a while, she stopped really trying to get past Amethyst, content with staying and continuing their little dance-fight for fun. After what seemed like hours of dancing, the pair left to the last section of the beach they hadn’t explored.

“Aw come on, I was having fun!” Peridot complained.

“Peridot we’ve been dancing all night, I need to stop for a while.” Amethyst panted.

The two gems made their way over to the tables and chairs. The tables were decorated with all sorts of snacks and party food, something Amethyst immediately took advantage of. She whipped around to say something to Peridot, but something beyond her caught her attention first.

“Vidalia?!”

“Amethyst? I didn’t think I’d see you here!” the human called back.

Amethyst ran towards her with Peridot struggling to keep up, “Peri here wanted to party, and I just couldn’t say no.” she laughed.

“Oh so this is that Peridot you’ve been telling me about,” she said before turning towards the green gem, “the name’s Vidalia, nice to meet you.”

“Vidalia, you’re not planning on getting completely wasted, are you?” Amethyst said, leering at the beer in her hand.

“Nah nah, this is only like my third one. All the drunkards are down thataway.” she said jabbing a thumb behind her.

Realizing that Amethyst’s attention was occupied, Peridot spoke up, “I’m going to go see if I can find Steven or something.”

“Alright, me and Vidalia are gonna catch up here for a while.”

Peridot wandered off, but didn’t go back towards the tents. She meandered over towards the far side of the beach first, a bright red cooler catching her eye. She was disappointed upon opening it however. Normally the cans inside her all sorts of different, vibrant colors, but all the cans in this one were the same boring shade of tan. She cracked one open and took a sip, the drink’s odd, bitter flavor assaulting her taste buds. Her mouth felt oddly dry after her initial sip, prompting her to do the logical thing and take another. Before she new it, the can was empty. She took another from the cooler, careful to drink this one slowly. She walked down towards the beach, away from the noise of the party.

“I wonder what kind of animal this ‘drunkard is,” she said to herself as she sipped her drink, “my curiousity is piqued. The party will have to wait.”

She continued her walk, eventually ending up close to the water. The crowd began to thin the further she got. She noticed that most of the humans she were seeing now were tall, some of them even having a few inches over Garnet. Most, if not all, were drinking from the same tan cans she was. None of them seemed to bat an eye at her, despite the diminutive stature and green skin. Maybe those were the reasons they didn’t say anything. Peridot’s eyes wandered around, unable to keep herself from people watching. Most of the humans were fairly uninteresting however. Most were either standing in place or making odd, barely intelligible conversation. Peridot stopped for a moment, for some reason beginning to feel a bit light headed. She steadied herself, taking another swig from her odd tasting soda. She inspected the label. She wasn’t completely sure if she liked this ‘beer’ flavor, but it was certainly making her feel better. Her attention was caught by pair of humans, one male and one female.

“Aw come on baby,” the male garbled, “why you gotta be like that?”

“You’re the one acting like a jerk!” the female snapped back

“Aw come on, you know how I get when I’m drunk.”

“Whatever.” the female huffed.

“I love you.” the male insisted, trying to steal a few kisses from his companion.

“Yeah yeah I love you too. Come on, let’s get you home.”

The pair of humans unsteadily walked away, the male striking the female on the behind as they did so. Peridot looked on in confusion.

“That’s an...odd way to show affection. Eh, humans.” she shrugged as she continued her walk.

In the distance she could see a couple of humanoid figures sitting around a fire. She made her way towards them, curious as to why a pair of humans would willingly walk away from something they considerd fun. One of them turned to face her, getting up and moving towards her. Peridot should’ve been frightened, or at least concerned, but found herself oddly calm. She was surprised however, to find Steven’s dad to be the figure she was looking at. Something about him wasn’t quite right. His face was red, and his steps were uneven. His eyes were a bit glossy, as if he had just woken up.

“Hey there...uh...Peridot. I didn’t know you drank.” he said.

“Oh uh, yeah. Amethyst taught me.” Peridot responded, finding the observation odd.

“Really? Well in that case, I got a couple of guys I want you to meet. Come on!”

Peridot followed him back to the fire. A third figure had appeared there in the time that they were talking. It was Mr.Smiley, still dripping a bit from his dunk tank suddenly ‘malfunctioning’. Next to him was Fryman, who seemed to be in the same odd state of semi-consciousness Greg was in. Mr.Smiley grinned as Greg and Peridot sat back down.

“Gentleman...and lady. Sorry I’m late, but I’ve fulfilled my promise. We got the strong stuff tonight!” he proclaimed proudly as he threw open a cooler.

It was filled to the brim with glass bottles, each one a bright color. Each of the humans cheered and took one, popping them open and drinking happily. Peridot took one apprehensively and twisted the cap off. She took a small sip, an overwhelming burst of citrus stinging her mouth. She recoiled slightly from the taste as Mr.Smiley laughed at her.

“What’s wrong? Can’t handle it?”

“I’m a bit tougher than a human beverage.” Peridot said matter-of-factly.

“Really?” Fryman inquired, “In that case, chug! Chug! Chug!”

The other two humans joined in, pumping their fists into the air and chanting. Peridot took the bottle and poured its contents into her mouth, forcing herself to drink down the entire thing. She threw the empty bottle into the sand as the humans cheered for her, handing her a replacement. What a strange sight these humans were. All you have to do to gain their praise is drink fast? Peridot looked down at the bottle in her hand with a grin, figuring that the drunkard were probably long gone by now. She unscrewed the cap and took a big swig, the taste becoming a bit more bearable with time.

**************************************************************************************

“Wait, you almost died?!” Vidalia screamed.

“Well, kinda. I’m not really sure what happened with Ammolite but, that’s the jist of it.” Amethyst told her

“That sucks. A lot.”

“You’re telling me! It’s like Ammolite is dead or something!”  
“Eh I’m sure you guys’ll figure this all out.”

“I really hope so. I mean it’s just-”

“Amethyst!” Steven yelled as he ran towards her.

“Oh, hey dude. What’s up?”

“I wanted to find you and Peridot before I went home.” he sighed.

“Home? Already?”

“Yeah, Pearl said I had to be back in before midnight. I’ve only got like 5 minutes left.”

“Woah, what?! Peridot’s been gone for like an hour!” Amethyst shouted.

“Do you want me to help you look for her?” Steven offered.

“No I’ll find her. She couldn’t have gotten too far. I’ll see you guys later!”

Amethyst ran off, trying to keep the pounding in her chest to a minimum. How could she have let Peridot just wander off like that?! Who knows what could’ve happened! She might be hurt or-

“Nyeh ha ha ha!” Peridot’s distinctive laugh echoed.

Amethyst followed the sound, a bit horrified at what she saw.

“And then, get this, I called her a clod, right to her face!” the obviously drunk Peridot laughed, sending the humans into a fit of laughter.

“Hey, uh...greenie,” Fryman mumbled, “you never did tell us what that thing on your shirt means.”

“What this?” Peridot motioned towards her button, “It’s just an old joke. My girlfriend caught me..uh...inspecting her, to so speak.” 

“Hehe, I see,” Greg laughed, “was it a normal inspection, or a hands on inspection?”

“Well, I don’t mean to brag, but this one time I-”

“Peridot!” Amethyst snapped.

Peridot jumped to her feet and spun around. She gained a goofy grin as she stumbled over to Amethyst, “Hey, Amethyst! Where ya been?”

“Peridot, how much have you had to drink?”

“Uhh..I haven't really been counting. Why?”

“Because you promised me you weren’t going to!”

“What? No I didn’t! I promised not to touch any booze.” Peridot pointed out

“Oh...right. I forgot to teach you slang again, didn’t I?”

Peridot finished off the bottle she had in her hand, “Look Ame...Amy...Ametha..you. I’m not sure what you’re going on about, but this soda is the best thing about this planet.”

“Peridot that isn’t...nevermind. Just come on, we’re going home.”

Peridot didn’t move. Amethyst just stared her down, her stomach beginning to turn. She felt like she wasn’t look at Peridot anymore, just some drunk who looked like her. Amethyst almost felt like crying, this was exactly what she was trying to avoid. She tried her best to keep it together, telling herself it wasn’t a big deal. Amethyst turned around and began to stomp off. Peridot gave Amethyst a hearty slap on her backside as she did, causing the latter to squeak in surprise.

“P-Peridot!” she blushed, “what are you doing?!”

“I’m not exactly sure, but it was fun.” she laughed.

“Peridot, you’re making an ass of yourself.” Amethyst huffed.

“Oh lighten up! I’m just having a...bit of...a fainting spell…”

Peridot blacked out, the alcohol in her system finally forcing her to fall. The last thing she heard was an amused chuckle from Mr.Smiley.

“Heh...lightweight.”

**************************************************************************************

“Oh my aching head…,” Peridot whined as she woke up, “how’d I get back to the barn?”

“I brought you here,” Amethyst said as she thrusted a cup of coffee towards her, “drink this, it’ll help with your hangover.”

Peridot sipped the unpleasant liquid, “What happened last night?”

“You got trashed is what happened. You don’t remember?”

“I remember...a few things. The last thing I remember was falling asleep at the beach.”

Amethyst and Peridot walked outside, the rising sun still sitting upon the horizon. Peridot was shivering, and her head was pounding. She desperately chugged the hot cup of caffeine in her hand, hoping the pain would subside. She looked back up at Amethyst.

“I love you.” she said weakly.

“....I love you to.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing I just...I really wish I didn’t see you like that.”

“Why? From what I remember I was just acting stupid. I wasn’t dangerous or anything.”

“I know but,” Amethyst went on as she sat herself down on the ground, “I just don’t like seeing people like that. Rose used to drink sometimes and she got...weird. Really weird. It makes my skin crawl.”

Peridot sat down next to her and clung to her, “It wasn’t my intention to worry you. If it makes you feel better, I think I now know what it feels like to be shattered.”

“Yeah well, that’s what you get for drinking half a cooler on your own.” Amethyst snorted.

“I have to admit...the dancing was pretty fun.” Peridot said sheepishly.

“It sure was.”

Peridot began to laugh, “We were definitely the best dancers there. I mean, did you see some of those humans?”

Amethyst joined in the laughter, “I know right? Some of them were even more blitzed then you were!”

The gems held each other, laughing into the cold morning air. Their eyes filled with tears of laughter and joy (although for Peridot, they also doubled as tears of pain) as they reminisced about the night before. Amethyst hated to admit that even though it was unpleasant at the time, Peridot’s drunken ramblings were a bit amusing in hindsight. Peridot retorted with stories of what her and the humans conversed about whilst she was gone, restarting the uproarious laughing fit. The two were so busy laughing, they didn’t notice the light coming off of their gems. 

The light grew and grew, until eventually their physical forms melted away. With a powerful burst of energy, the two beings were gone, Purple Ammolite sitting in their place. She looked down at herself, forcing herself to stand up. She could still feel Peridot’s hangover, although the buffer of positivity the two shared was dulling it a bit. Ammolite took a few steps, the lack of existing taking a slight toll on her motor skills. She stretched her many limbs and twisted her back, the feeling of her muscular form bringing a smile to her lips. She took in a few sharp breaths, expecting to fall apart at any minute. However, she was still there, alive and well. She looked up at the sun, determination practically emanating from her.

“I’m finally back,” she breathed, “and this time, I’m not going anywhere.”


	23. Showgirls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm gonna get so hammered, my fusion is gonna feel it!"
> 
> "Peridot I don't think that's a thing people say."

A dull pain throbbed through Ammolite’s head as she paced around the barn. It had been a few hours since she found herself outside the barn, and her physical form was no worse for wear. It was surprising, really. No pain, no attempts to come apart, no instability. She could still feel the presence of her components, even if they technically didn’t exist as she did. It was almost like a dream, she was finally stable! Well...stable enough anyway. 

“Figures,” Ammolite coughed, “I’m only good to go when Peridot gets herself blitzed.”

The pain in Ammolite’s head grew, culminating in a needle-like stinging in the back of her eyes. The room around her began to spin, knocking her off balance and forcing her to sit. She held her head with one hand as the pressure began to even out through her skull. When she opened her eyes again she could see...something.

**************************************************************************************

_Amethyst trudged back towards the barn, lugging the half conscious Peridot with her. Peridot stirred and struggled, attempting to break from Amethyst’s grip._

_“Peridot come on, we need to get you home.” Amethyst growled._

_“Why do we need to go home? We were having fun!” Peridot complained._

_“I’m making sure you don’t hurt yourself.” Amethyst said as she dropped Peridot on her feet._

_“Hey I-I-I might not be big, strong, gem soldier like you,’ Peridot said with a mocking flex of her arms, “but I’m a big gem damn it and I can handle myself!”_

_“Peridot, you can barely talk right, let alone walk.”_

_“Oh yeah? Watch me!” Peridot slurred._

_Peridot took an exaggerated step forward, immediately slipping on the grass in front of her. Peridot went tumbling down, hitting the dirt with a soft thud. She attempted to pick herself up, but found herself to inebriated to do so properly. After a few minutes of watching her struggle, Amethyst scooped up her off the ground._

_“Just let me help you.”_

_“...Fine.”_

**************************************************************************************

Ammolite blinked slowly as the vision faded away. A memory? Certainly wasn’t one of her own. She managed to stand up, her headache subsiding back to a slight throbbing. Ammolite quietly murmured to herself as she tried to piece together what exactly she saw. Her conversation with herself proved to be a bit to interesting, as she failed to hear the door open.

“Amethyst? Peridot? Pearl wants us to go look for the-”

Steven stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ammolite. Ammolite stared back at him, unsure of what to say. Steven’s eyes were a mixture of excitement, confusion, and fear. Ammolite gave him an uneasy smile, showing off her pointed fangs.

“Sorry kid, they aren't here right now.” she chuckled.

“Ammolite...you’re back? How long have you been fused?”

“A few hours,” Ammolite shrugged, “I think we’ve finally got the hang of this.”

“That’s great!” Steven exclaimed, “Come on, we have to go show the others!”

Steven grabbed one of Ammolite’s lower hands and made a beeline for the house. Ammolite sprinted alongside him, unable to keep herself from laughing. Despite all the trouble she caused, Steven was so happy to see her! Ammolite could feel a semi-familiar feeling of warmth welling up inside her. Although, she still held a sinking suspicion that the others wouldn’t be as thrilled. Ammolite’s head began to pound again as her vision began to blur. The landscape in front of her began to twist and contort, and if it wasn’t for Steven pulling her along, she would’ve fallen over.

**************************************************************************************

_The light of the full moon shone into the empty barn as the door was flung open. Amethyst made her way inside, holding the barely awake Peridot. Amethyst laid the smaller gem down onto her hay pile, being careful not to drop her too hard._

_“Alright Peri, you’re home. I’ll see you in the morning once you’ve slept this off.” Amethyst said as she turned to the door._

_“You can’t leave.” Peridot said simply._

_“Why not?”_

_“Why doesn’t matter. Just...please stay.” Peridot squeaked._

_Somewhat begrudgingly, Amethyst laid down next to Peridot. Peridot immediately clung to her, as if she were in some sort of danger. Peridot stared up at Amethyst, immediately looking away whenever Amethyst glanced back. Amethyst quickly took notice._

_“Peridot, what’s wrong?”_

_“Nothing just...do you..resent me?”_

_“Resent you? For what?”_

_“Because I tried to kill you and the other gems! Because I can’t fuse right! Because I can’t...even…”_

_Peridot’s words trailed off into unintelligible drunken crying. Amethyst hugged her tight, gently stroking her hair as Peridot let everything out. Once she began to quiet herself, Amethyst cut in._

_“You were just on the wrong side back then. And don’t worry about Ammolite, we’ll get her back soon.”_

_“Do..do you really think so?” Peridot sniffed._

_“Of course. After all, she’s in us somewhere.”_

_“But...why is she hiding?” Peridot stuttered._

_“I’m not sure. I’m sure she’ll come back when she’s ready.”_

**************************************************************************************

Ammolite found herself standing on the beach, only a few feet from the house. Steven was gone, a trail of his footprints leading up to his porch. Ammolite could hardly believe what she saw...they blamed her? They thought she was the reason they couldn’t fuse? Of course, Ammolite herself wasn’t sure why she couldn’t come back either, so their guess was as good as hers. The image only served to fortify her earlier thought. She knew she couldn’t afford to come apart. Not yet.

“See look! I told you!” Steven said as he dragged the other two gems outside.

“Oh my..,” Pearl whispered, “Garnet?”

“The mission can wait.” she replied.

Garnet sprung high into the air, landing in front of Ammolite with expert precision. The two fusions eyed each other silently, the tension hanging in the air like a swarm of insects. 

“Ammolite. It’s nice to see you again.” Garnet said.

“Somehow, I doubt you mean that.” Ammolite sneered.

“Ammolite, like it or not you aren’t completely stable. Steven told me you’ve been fused all morning, it’s time for you to unfuse for a while.”

“I’m not unfusing. Not now, not ever.” Ammolite grunted.

Steven nearly had a heart attack, “What?! You can’t just-”

Garnet held up a hand to silence him, “What do you mean you’re not unfusing?”

“Well, you of all people should be able to sympathize with me. I’m keeping them safe, if I unfuse again, I might not come back.”

"This isn’t your decision to make Ammolite!” Garnet snapped."

“Yeah? Well who’s going to stop me?” Ammolite challenged.

Garnet stood in silence for another moment, “Alright. You want to prove you’re strong? Let’s prove it. Pearl!”

Pearl jumped from her spot, landing in Garnet’s arms gracefully. Garnet spun her around into a deep bow, their bodies melting away into an intense light. Their physical forms merged a giant column of energy before taking on a more humanoid shape. The light opened up as it if were a pair of glittering curtains and the figure’s booming voice bellowed.

“Hello there beauties and gentle beauties! This is Sardonyx, with a live action report! It seems that someone is going to have to teach Purple Ammolite a painful lesson about fusion! Are you prepared darling?”

Ammolite looked on in disbelief, “I’m only about 50% sure who you are, but I already don’t like you.”

“Aw come now darling! Everyone loves the illustrious Sardonyx!” Sardonyx insisted.

“Can you even fight?” Ammolite hissed.

“I’m a top-notch fighter! But I’m more than that, I’m also a perfect host! I’ll even let you take the first few swings!” Sardonyx laughed.

“You’re going to regret that.”

Ammolite flicked her wrist and summoned a whip, which immediately fell apart into a tangle of a dozen or so thinner whips. Ammolite jumped as high as she could and swung them, lashing them against Sardonyx’s body with full force. Once she landed on the ground again, she took another swing, whipping her opponent's body with every ounce of her strength. The colossal gem was unfazed.

“You’re not going to win points with crowd with that kind of display darling!” she said simply.

“What the-! Fine then, how’s this?”

Ammolite took hold of whips and tangled them between her many fingers. She rapidly waved her hands around them, pumping them with green energy. The whips twisted around each other, hardening with a layer of lime green metal. Ammolite fashioned the whips into a somewhat crooked bow, using another few hardened whips as arrows. Ammolite pulled back and shot three of them into Sardonyx’s chest, each one exploding on impact. A thick layer of black smoke clouded the area the giantess fusion stood. Ammolite watched the darkness intently, proud of her handiwork. Suddenly, a giant orange hammerhead came flying from the smoke, nearly taking Ammolite out in one swing. Ammolite escaped being hit by the skin of her teeth, her improvised weapon fading away as she dodged.

“Come now darling, now you’re just copying Opal’s routine!” Sardonyx chastised her as she waved the smoke away.

“Y-you!” 

“Like I said before, I’m a gracious host, so I’ll give you one last chance to...uh..what are doing?”

Ammolite had all four of her hands pointed to the sky. Between them, she created a gigantic blob of molten metal, wreathed in a horrible green flame. The fireball grew and grew, almost becoming bigger than Ammolite herself. Ammolite struggled to keep the projectile situation above her head, the strain of creating it along with the heat it produced not making it an easy task.

“I gotta say, I really don’t get you. Garnet’s a warrior, and Pearl’s an intellectual, but somehow the two of them make some sort of washed up TV host? Well, someone oughta cancel you!”

Ammolite lobbed the fireball as hard as she could. It soared towards Sardonyx at a breakneck pace, careening through the air with vicious intent. Sardonyx raised her hammer, and with unmatched speed, struck the attack in mid-air sending it back to her attacker. To weary to move, Ammolite took the full brunt of her own attack, a fiery explosion engulfing her body. Once the flames had dissipated, Ammolite found herself unable to move, the pain numbing her body. She could hear her opponent defuse as she laid there, helpless. The other gems soon surrounded her.

“Alright Ammolite, you’ve made your point. It’s time to unfuse.” Garnet said sternly.

“No!” Ammolite shouted, “Can’t you see? I can’t unfuse! I’m not strong enough yet!”

“Ammolite, you can still protect them, even if you aren’t here.”

“That’s real easy for you to say! How would you feel if you knew Ruby and Sapphire almost died and it was all your fault?!”

Ammolite struggled to sit up, her eyes welling with tears. She buried her face in her hands as painful sobs escaped from her. All she could feel was pain, physical and emotional. She barely noticed the flash of light in front of her, her tears interfering with her vision. The faint feeling of an icy-cold hand on her shoulder caught her attention.

“Ammolite,” Sapphire said slowly, “I understand how you feel. But you cannot blame yourself.”

“But what happened was my fault! I’m supposed to protect them and I-”

“You’re unstable Ammolite!” Ruby snapped, “You’re not going to help anyone until Amethyst and Peridot sort out their fusion on their own.”

“Ruby and I were unstable for a long time. It takes practice to get it completely right.” Sapphire assured her.

“But..what if..they don’t want to fuse again? What if I...disappear forever?” Ammolite cried.

Ruby put a hand on Ammolite’s other shoulder, “Just because you aren't here, doesn’t mean you don’t exist.”

“Ruby’s right. You still exist within both of them. They didn’t just fuse to be strong. They fused and kept trying to fuse because they love each other. Can’t you feel it?”

Ammolite tried her best to hold back her tears. She sat in silence, focusing on what she was feeling. It was an odd sensation. It felt like a bright warmth, wrapped in a layer of frost. The warmth burned through her, despite her self-doubt and her pain. The sound of laughter rang in her ears, the familiar sound bringing a small smile to her lips. 

“Yeah...I think so.”

“Very good,” Sapphire smiled, “now please, unfuse. Steven is starting to worry.”

Ammolite looked up at Steven. He had a pained expression on his face, “It’s nothing personal, I just want Amethyst and Peridot to be okay… I’m going to miss you though!”

Ammolite flashed him a huge grin as her body began to melt away, “Don’t worry kid. I’ll be back real soon.”

**************************************************************************************

_It was the middle of the night when Peridot snapped awake._

_“Amethyst. Amethyst, wake up!”_

_“Ugh..what is it now?”_

_“I have something important to tell you!”_

_“What?”_

_“I love you.”_

_Amethyst rolled over to face Peridot before breaking down into a giggling fit, “You woke me up just to tell me that?”_

_“Well that, and to do this.”_

_Peridot pulled Amethyst into a deep kiss. When Amethyst pulled away, Peridot assaulted her with a barrage of kisses all over her face and neck. Amethyst squirmed and struggled against the intoxicated gem._

_“Peridot come on, get off me! You smell like a damn frat house!” Amethyst laughed._

_Peridot stopped, nuzzling her head next to Amethyst’s, “I love you.”_

_“I love you too, you little weirdo.”_


	24. One Big Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it guys. Enjoy.

The gems trudged along, entering hour two of their search. Pearl and Garnet’s scouting led them to a rocky grotto, miles away from any sort of civilization. The sun beat down on them, nearly baking them in its heat. The uneven ground was difficult to traverse, but they pushed onward despite any difficulty. The tracking device in Pearl’s hand beeped incessantly, alerting them that the group was closing in on their destination. Everyone was nervous. After the last two artifact hunts, it wasn't hard to understand why. Both times they had to fight for their lives just to have the very thing they were searching for destroyed. Finally, they saw it. It sat on a pure white block of marble. It was a small, ocean blue ‘X’ shape made of an unknown metallic material. The very center of it housed a bright red button, almost resembling a gemstone. Pearl carefully picked it up, inspecting it for damage. Peridot darted around uneasily.

“Where’s the monster?” she squeaked nervously.

“What monster?” Pearl asked.

“There-there’s always a monster on these missions!”

“Sometimes we get an easy one. I ain’t complaining.” Amethyst shrugged.

“Well...if you say so. What is this thing anyway?” Peridot asked.

“According to my findings, it’s called the calming catalyst. Its function is all in the name really, you press this button here and it creates a small field that causes those inside of it to become relaxed and clear-minded.” Pearl explained.

Peridot and Amethyst exchanged a small glance. Pearl quickly took notice.

“What are you two planning?”

“Well...Amethyst and I have never been able to fuse on purpose..well not easily at any rate. Do you think that this thing could...help us do that?”

“Well...I suppose it’s worth a try.”

Peridot and Amethyst sat down on the cold stone ground, the artifact sitting between them. Peridot nervously hit the button, turning it from red to green. A dome of translucent blue energy enveloped the two of them, bathing them with light. The gems felt as if they were floating, their bodies weightless. It felt like being caught in a warm rain, with all their troubled thoughts washing away at once. Amethyst tried to say something, but all that came out was a contented giggle. They scooted closer to each other, silently gazing at one another. Once they were next to each other, they embraced, the rest of the world seemingly invisible to them. Their physical forms immediately faded, creating Ammolite laying in their place.

“Ammolite, how do you feel?” Steven asked.

“Pretty good kid. Pretty good.” she mumbled slowly.

“Can you...move?”

“Nah man. I’m good here.” she replied gazing up at the clouds.

Garnet reached in and clicked the button again, bringing back its red coloration. The field of light dissipated, leaving Ammolite exposed to her emotions again. It all came crashing back at once, every single negative or doubtful thought she had ever had. She immediately fell apart, leaving a slightly irritated pair of gems in her stead.

“Well that...kinda worked.” Amethyst said as she dusted herself off.

“Yes well, we will simply have to test this out more tonight once we get home.” Peridot concluded.

“You can’t do it tonight! It’s movie night!” Steven whinned.

“Movie night? What does that even mean?” Peridot questioned.

“We stay up all night watching movies! It’s really fun!” Steven assured her.

“Please tell me you picked out better movies than last time,” Amethyst said flatly, “you know, like a monster movie that is actually tolerable?”

“What was wrong with Blood N’ Fangs 2?” Steven asked defensively.

“The vampire and the werewolf didn’t even fight, they got married!”

“They were in love!”

“Okay I’m confused again,” Peridot cut in, “what’s ‘married’?”

“It’s when two people decide to spend the rest of their lives together, because they love each other!” Steven explained happily.

“The...rest of their lives?” Peridot echoed with a quick glance towards Amethyst.

“Yeah, but...can I explain it to you later? We have to get home soon!”

The group turned and made their way back home, the simple mission done and over with. Peridot’s heart nearly pounded out of her chest as she walked alongside them. The thought was a bit existential but it still caused Peridot’s mind to race. Spending the entirety of one’s existence in the presence of another...someone you...loved. It seemed nice, and given recent events, it even seemed...plausible. Several times during the hike back Peridot tried to say something to Amethyst, but found herself to shy to say anything. Peridot spent the entire walk desperately trying to piece together what she wanted to say in her head.

**************************************************************************************

Steven had gathered the gems on to the beach, just outside his house. The sun was beginning to set, and the air was starting to chill. Pearl stood close to him nervously, Garnet standing next to her. He had two gems in his hands, still encapsulated in bubbles, with the calming catalyst sitting in the sand. Peridot and Amethyst were off to the side, only half paying attention to what he was doing.

“Steven, please explain to me again what you’re thinking.” Pearl said quietly.

“I told you Pearl, I’m gonna use this calming thing to try and talk to the corrupted gems. Maybe I can learn how to help them!”

“But why are you using two at once?!” Pearl shrieked.

“I thought having a buddy might make them a bit more comfortable.” Steven laughed, seemingly unaware that this plan could possibly go wrong.

“Why are we letting him do this?” Pearl asked Garnet.

“Most of the possible futures I’ve seen involve him sneaking off to do it on his own. Things could get much worse from there.” Garnet said simply.

“Oh...alright. But if anything starts getting dangerous then they’re going back into the bubbles!”

Steven placed the gems down and released them. They immediately reformed, towering over the other gems. One appeared in the shape of a bird, with blue feathers and a pristine white horn. The other looked like a crab or a lobster with a shark for a head. Steven quickly hit the button, bathing the monsters in an eerie glow. Peridot watched the experiment uncomfortably.

“Did it have to be those ones?” she spat.

“Steven’s got this...I hope.” Amethyst replied.

“Right..yes. Um...Amethyst..I wanted to-”

“Hold on a second,” she interrupted, “I think something’s happening.”

The monsters stood still in the dome of light, eyeing each other up and down. They made quiet, animalistic noises at each other. They kept up their odd conversation as Steven watched on with starry eyes. Peridot squirmed uncomfortably where she stood, grabbing Amethyst's hand for safety. Steven attempted to communicate with the monsters.

“Hey there...guys. You uh...wanna get me in on this?”

The corrupted gems glanced at him before focusing their attention back on each other. They began to nuzzle one another, making content noises as they did so. The avian monster twitched its tail feathers as the aquatic one waved its pincers in the air. Their gems began to glow.

“Uh-oh.” Steven gulped. 

The monster’s bodies faded into light, combining together in a burst of horrendous energy. The resulting explosion sent the artifact soaring over the horizon, far out of anyone’s sight. The monstrous fusion that sat upon the beach was unlike any other. It had a serpentine body, with giant, bladelike fins and razor sharp fangs. It had catfish-like whiskers adorning its crested face, along with two sets of purple, reptilian eyes. Its scales were dark blue and white, appearing almost as if it was the ocean itself. The monster let out a mighty roar that shook the sky.

“Gems, attack!” Garnet commanded.

Garnet and Pearl jumped towards the beast, only to be swiped by its heavy tail. The monster opened its mouth, expelling a gust of glittering mist at them. The mist hardened, forming an ice-like prison that ensnared both them and Steven. The monster slithered back around, setting all four of its horrid eyes on the only two gems left.

“A-A-Amethyst! What do we do?!” Peridot panicked.

“I’m not strong enough to beat this thing on my own! We need Ammolite!”

“But we can’t fuse without that artifact!” Peridot protested.

“Aw crap, you’re right! And even if we could, I doubt scaly over here is gonna let us have a dance break. Alright, new plan.”

Amethyst summoned a pair of whips and attacked the monster with them, coiling them around its giant whiskers. She yanked on them as hard as she could, forcing the monster’s head into the sand. The instant it collided with the earth, Amethyst turned to Peridot.

“Run!” she shouted.

The pair ran to their imprisoned comrades and attacked their prison, to little avail. The others tried attacking from the inside, but their efforts were seemingly in vain as well. The monster fusion attempted to attack once more with its tail, but received another vicious lash for its efforts. The monster roared again, the entire each seeming to quake under its might. Peridot began to have a break down.

“Oh my stars, this is it! This is how we’re all going to die! Steven why are you such an idiot?!”

“I’m sorry, I was trying to help!” Steven cried.

“Amethyst! Peridot! You two need to fuse, its the only way to beat this monster!”

“We can’t fuse you clod! The artifact is gone and Ammolite with it!”

“You don’t need it! The power to fuse is within you, not the artifact!” Garnet scolded.

“Peridot, it’s our only chance.” Amethyst said.

The two gems fled and ran towards the house, hiding underneath the stairs. Despite its many eyes, the creature didn’t seem to have very good eyesight, unable to keep track of its prey as they ran off. It combed the beach, unable to determine their location.

“Peridot, you need to calm down.” Amethyst said.

“I can’t calm down! I’m about to be shattered and there's so much I havn’t done!”

Amethyst slammed her hands onto Peridot’s shoulders, “Peridot! I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

“You...you can’t promise that.”

“I just did.” Amethyst smirked.

“Fine,” Peridot said with a deep breath, “if we somehow survive this, I have something important I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Just...it isn’t important now. We have a monster to fight.”

“One last kiss before we get ourselves killed?”

The two gems kissed, their gems bursting with light the instant their lips touched. Their bodies melted into each other, reforming into a tall, muscular shape. The light faded away, and there she stood. Purple Ammolite.

“I knew that would work.” she snickered.

Ammolite made her way back to the battlefield. The monster was turned the other way, still trying to find its prey. Ammolite looked back and forth from the monster and her trapped friends. Seeing them like that filled with an intense anger that made her entire body hot. She held up her four hands, pumping them with as much energy as she could muster. A titanic blob of molten metal encased in a hellish fire formed between her palms. Her legs buckled slightly, the weight of her attack almost too much for her. She looked up at her target.

“Hey ugly! Catch”

She lobbed the attack at the monster fusion. The fireball exploded on impact, sending sand flying everywhere. The gem’s icy prison shattered, causing them to scatter. A tower of smoke billowed from where the monster stood. When it cleared, all that remained were two gems, half buried in the sand. Ammolite fell over, her attack exhausting her. Steven quickly bubbled the gems and walked back over to Ammolite with a wide grin.

“What’s that look for?” the fusion breathed.

“We tricked you!” Steven laughed.

“What.”

“Yeah, that artifact didn’t help you guys fuse at all! All it did was make light! I knew you guys could do it.”

Ammolite fell apart, partially out of exhaustion and partially out of anger. Amethyst shot up, “What are you talking about?”

“It was Steven’s idea,” Garnet began, “he thought if we told you two that the artifact would help you fuse, you’d be able to do it on your own when you needed to.”

“Sorry to deceive you like that, but Garnet’s future vision said it had a very high chance of solving your issue.” Pearl went on.

“But...why did we feel so stupid when the light was on us.”

“Probably heat exhaustion.” Garnet said.

“B-but, the monsters…” Amethyst panted.

Steven shrugged, “That part wasn’t really planned. Maybe they know each other? Either way, it’s time for movie night! Come on guys!”

“We’ll catch up. Me and Peri have to talk for a sec.” Amethyst replied.

The other gems made their way inside. Amethyst plopped down in the sand next to Peridot, the two of them watching the waves for a few silent seconds.

“I can’t believe this.” Peridot grummbled.

“Hey, it worked,” Amethyst laughed, “so what did you want to tell me?”

“I just...I wanted to thank you.” Peridot blushed.

“Thank me? For what?”

“For...everything really. I was so lost when I came to this planet and...you helped me. You helped me remember what it felt like to belong somewhere.”

“Aw come on….” Amethyst flushed.

“It’s true! I...thank you, Amethyst. So much.”

Amethyst pulled her into a hug, “No problem Peri. Thanks for being there for me. I’m honestly surprised you don’t hate me.”

“I could never hate you, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“So..um..Amethyst,” Peridot went on, “do you think...we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together?”

“I know we will.” she said confidently.

“So...should we get 'married?'”

Amethyst face immediately went hot, “Oh god...I uh...Peridot that’s a big step and I-”

“Guys come on!” Steven called impatiently, “The movie’s about to start!”

“We’re coming!” Amethyst called back before turning to Peridot again, “Let’s talk about this later.” Amethyst stood and held out a hand, “Come on you nerd.”

Peridot reached out and grabbed Amethyst's hand with a goofy smile, “Right behind you, you clod.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to take this moment to thank everyone. To thank everyone who commented, who left kudos, just...everyone and anyone who gave this story a shot. It's thanks to all of you that I can say I've found something I enjoy, so much more than I thought I would. I can't thank any of you enough for supporting this, and for helping me realize a love of writing. I love you all.
> 
> ~~See you all for the sequel!! :D~~
> 
> EDIT: Wasn't kidding guys; http://archiveofourown.org/works/8563870/chapters/19632013


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